A Noble Endeavour
by BigBadWolfTardis
Summary: With her mind burning, Donna Noble is offered a choice by the Tardis herself. Forget her life with the Doctor and return to being just an ordinary temp, or go back to the moment she first appeared in the Tardis and prevent it all from happening. Will Donna be strong enough to rewrite her entire life with the Doctor, or will it all become too much for her to bear?
1. Donna's Choice

**HO HO HO Merry Christmas! And as a christmas present to the world, I'm beginning a brand new story, starring one of my favourite companions, Donna Noble! Now this story is inspired by two stories, 'History Repeats' and 'The Wolf and The Storm'. Both are completely brilliant but I really like doing things my own way, and thus A Noble Endeavour is born. Please note that this story bears no reflection on my other Doctor Who stories (Craig Tyler, Gwen and Ten, The Black Rose, and Touch of an Angel) and that Doctor Who is NOT mine! I hope you enjoy and merry christmas.**

**...**

**A Noble Endeavour**

** Donna's Choice **

Donna Noble let out a low sigh as she leaned against the console of the Tardis, a magnificent time machine that could travel everywhere in time and space in the blink of an eye. Whilst on the outside, it looked like an old blue police box, but on the inside, it was so much bigger and so magical. Blue and green lights lit up the room, and large ornate coral struts held up the dome shaped ceiling. The floor was grated metal, and in the centre the strange and bizarre console stood, a large glass cylinder called the Time Rotor reaching up to the centre of the ceiling.

Donna herself was a tall confident woman with long red hair and a gracefully beautiful face. No make-up, no nonsense, just her, pretty and confident. Well, mostly confident. She had a lot of self-doubt, had very little confidence in her own specialness, even going so far as to deny being important or useful to anyone. That was until she absorbed the Doctor's mind into her own head, and a whole universe of information exploded through her. Facts and figures combined with human intuition, a human being with a time lord brain. She was the most unique woman in the whole of creation after all, and thanks to her, the universe was now safe, every universe was, all thanks to Donna Noble.

The Doctor-Donna

That was what she had been called, by the Ood, and by the Doctor himself. The man in question was the last of his kind, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He was a pretty boy with spiky brown hair and a baby face complexion, and far too skinny for Donna's tastes. He wore a pinstripe suit and a long brown coat, and even though he wore a manic grin most of the time, Donna knew better than to trust it. He was never really alright. He had lost so much, his planet, his friends, his family, and now he had lost the woman he loved _twice_!

He had just said goodbye to all his old friends all at once. Sarah-Jane Smith had been the first. But he didn't begrudge her one bit. She had a son to get back too, and he was only fourteen. It was only right that she got the chance of being a mother, and so he had just waved goodbye and told her he'd see her again soon.

Then Captain Jack Harkness and Martha Jones had left. Captain Jack was the leader of Torchwood Cardiff, a small rag tag team that protected the Earth by monitoring a rift in time and space. He was also immortal, wrong in fact, but the Doctor had managed to push past all that and by comfortable in his presence again. And Martha had responsibilities too. Not only did she have a family to look after, but she worked for UNIT, a sort of alien fighting army, and she was trying to show them a better way to dealing with aliens, just like the Doctor had taught her. So once again, he waved them off, back into their own lives.

Mickey Smith had then left too, deciding to come back to his original universe instead of returning to the parallel world he had spent the last few years in. Apparently his gran had passed away peacefully, and with no hope of rekindling his relationship with Rose Tyler, he was opting to start a brand new life back where he belonged. After saying goodbye to the Doctor, he had raced off after Jack and Martha, and the three of them had left together.

And the next goodbye was probably the worst of all. The Doctor had piloted the Tardis into a different universe, to a spot in Norway called Bad Wolf Bay. Once there, Rose Tyler, her mother Jackie Tyler, and the New Doctor, the result of the same Biological Metacrisis that had given Donna so much intelligence, had all stepped out onto the beach. The Doctor had gone onto explain that his clone would only live one single life and never regenerate, and therefore could spend a life with Rose in a way he never could. When the clone had whispered that he loved her in her ear, Rose had given in and kissed him. Donna had thrown him a sympathetic look as he swallowed hard, before he turned and re-entered the Tardis, with Donna following, before piloting them away back to their own universe before the walls of the world closed again, trapping Rose Tyler and her new Doctor there forever.

And that was the moment the cracks had started to appear. A tiny tear that Donna almost missed appeared in the corner of the Doctor's eye, and without uttering a word; he stormed out of the control room in his usual dark manner to regain some of his composure, leaving Donna alone in the control room.

And she knew what was going to happen next. She had the mind of a Time Lord in her human head, and she wouldn't be able to sustain it for much longer. She winced as her head throbbed with something so much worse than just a severe migraine. Her mind was racing, so many ideas, so much darkness; her own mind was drowning in it. It was killing her; burning out every synapse in her brain until soon she would burn up complete and die in agony.

_Ever-lasting death for the most faithful companion._

When she had first heard those words she didn't know who they would apply to. They might have applied to Rose. The most faithful companion, well she had crossed whole universes to get back to the Doctor, and if that wasn't faithful Donna didn't know what was. But the 'Ever-Lasting death' didn't really apply to her. Then she had thought it might have meant Jack. He was immortal, he died and came right back to life, so in theory, that could be called 'Ever-Lasting Death'. But with him, the most faithful part was only partly true. He had waited over a hundred years to find the Doctor again, but he then left for his own life twice now.

But now she knew the truth behind the words. _She_ was the companion that was destined to die. She was the most faithful, because just touching the hand with the Doctor's regeneration energy in it hadn't sparked the Metacrisis, but her own belief that it would save her, that _the Doctor_ would save her, had. Her belief in him, her best friend, that was what made her the most faithful companion. And the ever-lasting death part was that if she allowed the Doctor to go ahead with his plan when he returned, the true her would die, the Doctor Donna would die, and with her memories gone, she'd be back on Earth, still alive but completely ignorant to everything she had done with the Doctor. So in a sense, she'd be experiencing 'Ever-Lasting Death' without even knowing it. And she was determined to find a way to stop it.

That was the thought going through her head as she tweaked a switch on the console, walking slowly in a circle around the controls.

_'Donna… Donna… listen!'_ a whisper echoed around her, making her jump and spin around, looking for the source of the voice.

'He…Hello? Who's there?' she called nervously.

_'It's me… it's me Donna!' _the voice replied, barely loud enough for Donna to be able to hear it.

'Who are you? Why can't I see you?' Donna demanded, angry and frightened. After all, hearing voices in an empty room was never a good thing, even with so many voices and thoughts now in her dangerously close to burning head.

_'Concentrate Donna… and you will see!' _the voice ordered. Donna, not sure what else she could do, did as the voice instructed and concentrated everything she had on the voice. And with the power of a Time Lord/Human brain behind her, Donna gasped in shock and jumped back as a vision of a figure faded into existence before her, inside the Tardis. The console beeped and powered down, and the lights all went out leaving just the Time Rotor glowing, much less brightly then it had been a moment ago.

Donna's wide eyes swept over the form of the woman before her. She knew who she was of course, seeing as it was _her_! Standing there dressed exactly the same but with something different about her eyes, was a second Donna Noble!

'But… how is that possible… oh! You're not me, you're just using my image as an interface to be able to talk to me freely' Donna realised. If she had been just a human, she'd have been sputtering and yelling about imposters and body snatchers, but now she could work out things like that without the Doctor telling her so. She let out a moan of pain, clutching at her head. She wasn't going to last much longer now. The pressure in her mind was building up!

The other her had smiled as Donna worked it out, but it had faded as Donna's pain became more obvious.

'Do you know who I am?' the other her asked, her voice was different too. It wasn't Donna's voice, but a voice which sounded eerily like Rose Tyler's, but was rippling and echoing strangely. Searching through the Doctor's memories which burned in her own, Donna saw the Game Station, with Rose Tyler or more accurately Bad Wolf standing over him, his previous incarnation, as she spoke in that voice.

Frowning, Donna turned and looked over her shoulder at the console which had powered down, and the Time Rotor which was barely glowing at all now, before she turned back to the other her in realisation.

'You're the Tardis?!' she cried in shock.

'Yes I am! Time and Relative Dimensions in Space! What a clever girl you are!' the other her cheered in Rose's voice.

'Oh my god!' Donna gasped, before she winced as her head throbbed again. She had only minutes now! She didn't have time for this! She needed to think of a cure which would allow her to retain her memories before it was too late, or before the Doctor came back and wiped her mind! She couldn't be dealing with a talking Tardis now!

'But you do have time to deal with a talking me, for I am a time machine!' the other her smirked, literally reading Donna's thoughts. When Donna just stared at her in shock, the Tardis let out a sigh.

'I can change languages in your head but reading your thoughts is surprizing to you?' she asked, rolling her eyes.

'You shouldn't read people's thoughts anyway' Donna told her angrily.

'Normally I don't but yours are so loud I can't help but hear them. And I love you so much I can't ignore them either!' the Tardis countered gently, a small tear forming in one eye.

'You what? You love me? Why?' Donna asked. If she had said the Doctor she would understand that, but what, apart from what she had just done to save the universe, had she done to make the Tardis care about her so much?

'Because you saved the Doctor, right from the moment I let you in. Did I let you in? I will let you in? Oh my gosh, tenses are hard aren't they!' the other her giggled which made Donna frown at her.

'You… _let_ me in?' Donna blinked.

'I'm a Tardis, nothing comes in this body without my say-so!' the Tardis said cheerfully.

'Why would you let _me_ in then?' Donna asked softly.

'Because you're special, and you've always been special. Always will be special? Could be? Will be? Are? Tenses! Oh well, you're all of them!' the Tardis told her. And she said it which such conviction that even her, _Donna_ _Noble_, couldn't argue with it.

It was then that the other part of the Tardis' original sentence hit her.

'How did I save the Doctor? _He's_ the one that saved _me_!' Donna pointed out to the manifestation of the time machine.

'Oh no dear Donna, you most certainly saved him! He needed someone after the loss of the wolf girl; he was dark and losing himself to the storm. You pulled him back' the Tardis told her with certainty.

And then she was hit with a memory the Tardis was forcing on her.

_'Doctor! You can stop now!' she called up to him, drenched and in her wedding dress._

And he did, he stopped just because she had told him he could.

'You never fell for him Donna, and he needed that. I did like that student girl, but she didn't help my Doctor, not in the way you did. He needed a mate and that was you, you helped him open up and heal!' the Tardis persisted.

'I'm not his mate! Friend, buddy, pal! But not Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate! Ah!' Donna yelped in pain as she stumbled back, clutching at her head, and the Tardis frowned.

'Whatever the reasons are, we don't have time to discuss them! You are dying Donna Noble, and without you the Doctor will fall so far into the darkness, he will not survive it. He may regenerate, or he may not, be _he_ will never be the same! I can see Donna. The whole of time, it's in my name after all, and he will fall further and further into the darkness without someone to pull him back, and the only one that can do so is you!' the Tardis proclaimed, and Donna looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

'What do you want? Why are you here? Because look at me, I'm about to fail any minute, my mind will burn and I'll die, I can't help _anyone_!' she shouted, more of Donna then the Doctor shining through her tone at that moment.

'You're right. Whilst in this Metacrisis state you're useless, helpless, but as Donna Noble, you could do so much more to help him!' the Tardis explained to her.

'Why are you talking with Rose's voice?' Donna wanted to know, ignoring the words the Tardis had just spoken. She didn't want to hear it. Because returning to being just Donna Noble met losing her memories, and she'd rather die than let that happen. The Tardis huffed, but answered regardless.

'I can't just go _poof_ and get a voice and body! I need lot of things, but most of all I need DNA. You touched the Doctor's hand whilst I was being burnt, and through my link to him I managed to obtain your DNA. As for the voice, I obtained that when the Wolf looked into me and I looked into her. Now, you've got a choice to make, and it can only work once, so you need to make sure you get it right' the Tardis began to explain what was going on.

'Let me guess, the first option is that I refuse and my mind either burns or is erased and I'm returned to Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. Earth. _AND_ the second is you do something to me. Am I right?' Donna asked coolly. Her head was in pieces now! Fire burned through her and it took all her own mind's strength to try and keep it at bay. But she couldn't hold out much longer. She had only moments left.

'Correct! Oh you are such a clever thing aren't you! Now, here's your second option. I take _your_ consciousness, and only yours, right back through time to the first moment I let you in here' the Tardis said, empathising the _yours _to make it clear that it would be Donna's own mind and not the Metacrisis' mind with it.

'What? But that means I'd have to relive my life, every moment with the Doctor again! That's too dangerous!' Donna protested. Never mind the fact that she wouldn't even be able to tell him without causing a paradox, but what if the timelines themselves couldn't sustain her future mind being in her past self's body?

'Oh it's dangerous Donna. Universal exploding dangerous, but don't worry' the Tardis beamed at her.

'Don't worry? Don't worry?!' Donna repeated, gobsmacked.

'Nope, because I'll be right there will you! Well, I can whisper in your mind when you're doing something that will disrupt time too much' the Tardis explained.

'What are you saying? That I should save people? Do things differently?' Donna frowned. It was so dangerous. She would be continuously _rewriting_ time! The only way that could possible work would be to take her back to the very moment she had first met him, back at her wedding, which happened _two years_ ago for her!

'Exactly! But most importantly, you could help the Doctor. He needs opening up; he needs someone to save him from his inner demons, to show him he isn't a bad man but a hero to many, and you are the _only_ one that can. You are the best friend he's ever had; he needs you Donna, now more than ever. Will you do it?' the Tardis asked tensely.

Donna bit her lip. Either option was going to be difficult. But the Tardis was right. The Doctor did need to be saved, before he ended up alone and miserable. And he was her friend! And he had _always_ done whatever he could to save her! Now it was _her_ turn to save _him_, even if that meant facing the hardest thing anybody could ever face. Turning to face the Tardis, Donna silently nodded.

'You'll rewrite your entire time with him? Purely for him? And obviously to save yourself whilst you're at it? Don't forget that, that's very important!' the Tardis wanted to be sure.

'Yeah… I'll do it' Donna said, a tear running down her cheek as her Doppelganger smiled warmly at her.

'Thank you Donna Noble! Now, first things first, don't expect too much of yourself. If you want to save people who died the first time, than by all means try, but some people can't be saved, so don't let it dishearten you if you can't save everyone you'd like too. What's most important is that you find a way to prevent the Metacrisis from happening; it's the only way to save yourself. You can only do this once, so you need to pull it all off. Secondly, as I've said, try to get the Doctor to open up to you more. You will never love him in the way the Wolf girl did, and that's good. He needs a friend, not someone you wants him to love her back like that. Just be yourself and I'm sure you'll manage to get him to open up to you. And fourthly… no thirdly, we need to establish the bond' the Tardis finished.

'A bond so that when I'm back there my mind will still be able to hear you' Donna guessed and the other her nodded, gently raising her hands up.

'Do it' Donna ordered and the Tardis placed her fingertips to Donna's temples.

'Don't worry, it won't hurt' the Tardis told her, before the sound of her whooshing noise filled the room and her eyes sparkled with a brilliant golden light. A gold beam of pure temporal energy shot from her eyes and into the real Donna's and a spark of golden fire fused the Tardis' consciousness to her mind. Now they would be able to communicate without needing to speak aloud. They would permanently be able to talk telepathically. And it felt so strange to Donna. It was like a warm blanket had been wrapped around her, or she had been enveloped in a giant hug. Whatever it was, she liked the warm fuzzy feeling a lot. But sadly, the process of establishing the bond had most certainly NOT been pain-free!

'Ow! Hey!' Donna protested whilst the Tardis laughed.

'Sorry, I lied, but I didn't want to worry you' the Tardis said whilst Donna muttered in annoyance about sneaky time space spaceships.

'Do you know what I'm going to say next, what I have said next, what I will say next, tenses!' the Tardis frowned, still struggling to get a grasp on the correct operatives.

'You're going to tell me not to go with him when he first asks, aren't you?' Donna sighed sadly. If the Doctor was going to be lonely like he had when she had first met him, she wanted to be able to help him with that.

'I'm sorry but he needs to find you again like he did. Just before meeting you the second time, he had been imprisoned and tortured for a full year. I couldn't do anything to help him. I had been destroyed and mutilated into a Paradox Machine. You'll help pull him out of all that, and that's when he needs you Donna. I'm sorry, but it must be that way' the Tardis told her gently, placing a comforting hand on Donna's shoulder.

'Ok' Donna sighed, like a small child giving into their parents.

'Good girl. Now, there's just one last thing to say' the Tardis smiled sadly at her.

'What's that? That? That? That? That? That?' Donna gasped as another wave of pain rippled through her. She only had about fifteen seconds left now!

The Tardis raised her hands again and placed them back on Donna's temple, and her eyes shone brighter than a golden star, a sort of pulsing energy rippling over her skin as she shone with the power of time and space.

'Good Luck' was the echoing answer she got, before everything around Donna Noble faded to black.

**...**

**And there's the first chapter : ) Now, as beginnings go I'm pretty sure this is my shortest openning chapter, (But I could be wrong : P) but of course, it's definitely needed to set the story : ) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, and please give this a chance because I'm really, really looking forward to continuing this story and I hope you guys enjoy it : ) Please remember to review, and the next chapter should hopefully be up soon : )**


	2. The Runaway Bride, New Beginnings

**Hey! So Fanfiction sort of went down yesterday so I couldn't put this chapter up then but it's here now, so Happy Boxing Day : ) Anyway, I'm hoping that this will be quite different from the original episode. This story is kind of a cross between my Gwen/Ten story and Martha in season 1 & 2. It's like Gwen/Ten because Donna will try to get the Doctor to open up more, and it's like Touch of an Angel due to changing of events. But anyway, I hope you enjoy and please remember that Doctor Who is not owned by me. Enjoy : )**

**...**

**The Runaway Bride**

**The Runaway Bride – New Beginnings**

Donna let out a loud echoing scream as she tossed and turned and tumbled through time and space, through stars and planets and seconds and minutes, through swirling bright colours and jet black darkness. It all passed through her head – or what Donna imagined was still her head, seeing as she wasn't totally sure that she had a body anymore – burning and singing and screaming and howling, and just when it was all about to get too much, Donna was slammed back into reality.

Except everything felt different. Her head didn't hurt anymore. The crushing pressure of the Doctor's mind had been lifted, and she felt able to breathe again. In fact, she felt relief and comfort in her mind that had been taken when Davros had fired at her and the Metacrisis had begun. It felt, calm, relaxed, totally herself again. And she couldn't remember any of the Doctor's memories of Gallifrey or his travels before meeting her or any of the intimate details of Rose that only he knew before they had been passed onto her. It was all gone, and so was the poisonous knowledge that would have killed her. The only thing in her head was her own mind, pure Donna Noble.

But at the same time, something else was there too. But unlike the Doctor's mind, it wasn't threatening to overwhelm and kill her. It was sort of like a golden hum of reassurance right at the back of her mind. The Tardis. That's what it was. The Tardis was there, and so were her memories of everything she had achieved with the Doctor, all their adventures and travels, and that was it. It had worked! It had really worked! She wasn't going to die, or have her memories erased! Brilliant!

As a wide grin spread over her face at that realisation, it was then that Donna heard a surprized voice.

'What?!' a very familiar voice cried, and spinning around, Donna noticed something very important. Several things in fact. One, she was back in the Tardis, and not only that, but it was fully powered up again and not projecting a psychic interface at her. Two, the Doctor was there, gaping at her like he had never seen her before, which sadly he hadn't, and three; she was currently in a wedding dress.

'Holy shit!' she cried, astonished. Even though the Tardis had told her that she would be going back in time all the way back to the very beginning, to actually _be_ there moments later, it was more than a little overwhelming.

And he was there! He wasn't going to erase her memories of him to save her! This was a broken Doctor that had just lost Rose, a Doctor that needed fixing, and as his best friend, or future best friend to be as the case may be now, it was Donna's duty to assist him in any way she could.

The Tardis hummed warningly at the back of her mind.

_'You mustn't let him know!'_ she said, but it wasn't with just Rose's voice now. Instead it sounded almost like a multitude of voices. Like the Tardis had picked up the voices of every woman that had ever been on board and was now using them to communicate in Donna's mind.

Thankfully, the Doctor had taken her shock of being back at the very first moment she had met him as being shock to being there in the first place.

'But…' the time lord said weakly, looking at her, completely dumbfounded. And with the new knowledge that she _couldn't_ tell the Doctor, Donna decided to play dumb.

'How the… Where am I?' she changed her question. She was going to say 'How the hell can I rewrite time without telling him?' but that might _just_ have let him in on the fact of what had just actually happened.

'What?!' The Doctor gaped again, causing Donna to roll her eyes slightly.

'How the hell did I get here?!' she yelled instead. All she really wanted to do was run over and hug him and have him tell her this was going to be alright, that she'd make it through this, that it would all work out in the end, but she couldn't. If she did, he'd think she was a raving lunatic. Especially considering she was wearing a wedding dress.

Oh no! It was her wedding! She was going to miss her wedding!

Wait no, _that_ wasn't right. That thought confused her. Lance had betrayed her, and to add insult to injury, it was with a giant alien spider! So why was she so bothered about getting married to him?

_'You and you added together'_ the Tardis whispered to her.

'You and you added together'? What the hell did that mean? Oh! It meant that the younger version of her, the one who hadn't been through all this before, she was still there, Donna could feel her anger and snap, whilst the older Donna, who had travelled with the Doctor was still there too and knew exactly what was going to happen. It wasn't that Donna had just taken over herself, more like they had merged together. She wasn't Super Donna or anything, just old and new layered together. And it felt great! Brilliant in fact!

Meanwhile the Doctor was looking around in bewilderment, as if expecting someone to suddenly pop out from behind one of the coral struts and offer him an explanation as to her presence there.

'You can't do that, I wasn't... we're in flight! That is- that is physically impossible! How did you get here?!' he demanded of her. Donna went to open her mouth, not really sure of what to say, when suddenly it was like someone else had taken over, and her mouth was moving and saying words she didn't want to say.

'Listen to me you! Tell me this instant where am I?' she cried rudely, angrily. The Doctor looked stunned that even she had no idea, whilst Donna frowned. Where had _that_ come from?!

_'First you!_' the Tardis hissed. Donna inwardly sighed. Was _that_ going to happen often? Moments of her past-self breaking through to the present. Wait no. this hadn't happened yet, she just remembered what had… what was… going to happen. God this was confusing, and so much stranger than everything else Donna had ever experienced.

_'You will gain control over it'_ the Tardis assured her quietly, and Donna felt relief flow through her at that assurance. It was a very weird and not particularly pleasant experience to have someone else speak through your mouth, even if it was a part of you from your past. It made her feel possessed. God she hoped she'd get used to that soon.

'Inside the TARDIS' the Doctor eyed her suspiciously, speaking quietly.

'Tardis? What's a Tardis?' Donna decided to ask rather than get into a full blown shouting match like she had the last time. But in her past self's defence, she hadn't known that he wasn't some kidnapper, rapist, or murderer. But this version of Donna did, and she didn't want to yell and scream at him, not yet.

'Never mind that, what I wanna know is how you got in here?' the Doctor asked, not bothering to hide his suspicion of her. Donna mentally cringed. That wasn't the best start, him thinking she was some kind of thief wanting to steal the Tardis and acting dumb in order to do it.

'I really have no idea, I'm not exactly dressed to suddenly disappear and reappear somewhere… very weird… all with no warning now am I? She asked, a little bit of her past self's anger flaring up and infecting her words at the suspicion nature the Doctor was displaying.

'Hold on… what are you dressed like that for?' the Doctor asked. Donna was about to reply, when suddenly she was yelling and screaming at him in rage. It was her past self again! God at this rate he was going to think she was bloody bipolar!

'I'm going ten pin bowling. WHAT DO YOU THINK! DUMBO! I WAS HALFWAY UP THE AISLE!' she bellowed before she could stop herself, before the her that remembered managed to gain control again. She took several soothing breaths as the Doctor stiffened slightly. She waited until all her past-self's anger had faded before she attempted to gain some kind of control over the situation before it ended up in a full blown shouting match.

'Sorry… sorry' she apologised quietly.

'It's fine' the Doctor said calmly. Not warmly nor cross, but evenly. It was clear he was going to be vary of her for a while yet. Not unless she did something to regain control of this situation. But how could she? She didn't know what to do!

_'Ask him where you are!_' the Tardis urged her.

'Where am I? And don't say 'The Tardis' because I have no idea what that means' she told him. The Doctor let out a low sigh.

'It's a spaceship; it's _my_ spaceship and home. T for Time, A for And, R for Relative, D for Dimensions, I for in, and S for Space. Time and Relative Dimensions in space' the Doctor explained to her slowly so that she could keep up. And then…

Her past self took over again!

'That doesn't make any sense! You're just saying things!' she shrieked hysterically, before Donna was in the driver's seat again. The Doctor looked at her, somewhat alarmed. The way she would just… flip! It was unnatural! Unhealthy! And very overwhelming!

'I've had just about enough of this! How did you get in here?' the Doctor demanded. It was obvious he was losing his temper now at her antics. She had to get her past self to shut up soon or he was probably going to have her sectioned in an asylum!

But of course, it wasn't going to be so easy, and soon her past-self was yelling her head off.

'Hey! Don't you go trying to pin the blame on me Martian Man! You're the one with the spaceship! It's obvious that you've abducted me! And if you think for a minute you're gonna be probing me anywhere, I'll have ya knackers before ya even can get it up and out of ya pants!' she shrieked, before she clamped a hand over her mouth.

That was so NOT meant to come out! The Doctor looked gobsmacked by the threat and the insinuation, and Donna, the enlightened Donna, felt humiliation by that little outburst. God that was so much worse than the first time she had ranted at him!

**'Help me!'** she pleaded in her mind to the Tardis, who actually seemed to be chuckling in _amusement_ at her dilemma. Stupid spaceship!

_'Don't think! Clear your head!'_ she ordered and Donna obeyed, trying to push all thoughts away. Instantly, she felt something. It was like she was going to sleep; only she wasn't… no way! That was completely impossible! She HAD gone to sleep. The Tardis had closed down her past self's part of Donna's brain; put her into a deep sleep, leaving only her mind in the driver's seat. Thank God for that.

**'Thank you!'** she mentally sent the words through the bond, before she turned back to the still sputtering Doctor.

Only now, she was going to have to keep up the anger. If she didn't, he'd probably twig onto the fact that there was something different about her. And if the Tardis said not to let him know, she _couldn't_ let him know.

Well that wouldn't be too tough, she'd just have to keep on coming across as angry. She could just think about Lance. _That_ would make her angry.

'Take me back! I demand you take me back right now!' she yelled at him. It was then that she remembered the doors, and without a second thought she ran over to them.

'No, wait a minute! Wait a minute! Don't!' the Doctor cried urgently, racing after her, but Donna ignored him and threw the doors wide open, gasping at the sight before her. Golden and pink swirling light. Even a second time it was beautiful and amazing. The beautiful Supernova, the one that he had used as power to be able to send a farewell message to Rose Tyler in her parallel world.

It left her speechless, the beauty of the natural lightshow, but the Doctor mistook her silence as one of shock and distress.

'You're in space. Outer Space. This is my... space-ship. It's called the Tardis' the Doctor said gentler, but still looking at her shrewdly; as if he already knew that something about her didn't add up.

'And what? It keeps us safe? Is that how we're breathing and not being sucked out into the vacuum?' she pretended to ask. She knew it was the Tardis of course, but still, if she didn't ask him questions he'd get even more suspicious of her.

'Exactly. The TARDIS is protecting us' the Doctor nodded, his mouth twitching just a bit, mildly impressed by her observational skills and the way she had reached that conclusion without needing it offered up on a plate.

Donna vaguely remembered that it was around this point the last time that they had introduced themselves to the other, and that was what she decided to do next.

'I'm Donna… what about you?' she asked, trying to sound calm and quieter now.

'The Doctor. Donna what?' he asked.

'Noble. Donna Noble' she told him.

'Human?' he pressed.

'Yep. Totally human, but I'm guessing you're not, seeing as we're in space in a spaceship… with wooden doors for some reason' Donna replied, once again changing the way she asked things from the last time.

For the most part, it was simply because she couldn't remember her exact wording from the last time, but on some subconscious level, she wanted him to see her as being cleverer. She didn't want to appear as some angry broad with an axe to grind. She just wanted him to… see her as more than that.

'I'm… well I suppose I'm alien to you. But to me, you're the alien. But anyway…' the Doctor trailed off.

Donna continued looking out into space, before she shivered slightly. Remembering that she was in her wedding dress now and not her warm jumper, leather jacket, and jeans, Donna took a step back.

'It's freezing with these doors open' she told him, and the Doctor responded by closing the doors before he dashed off up the ramp back to the console.

'But I don't understand it and I understand everything! This can't happen! There is no way a Human Being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be…' he was suddenly full of energy and bouncing around, eager to get started and try to solve the mystery.

And to begin with, he brought up an ophthalmoscope and was using it to peer into Donna's eyes. She tried not to go cross eyed as she tried to look at him through it.

'Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic…' he babbled away, getting faster and faster before Donna had enough.

'ENOUGH!' she yelled and he fell silent. She really hated it when he spoke so quickly she couldn't keep up. It was so annoying and she really couldn't be bothered with any of this. Barely an hour ago she had saved the whole of reality from complete destruction and now she was back meeting her best friend for the very first time ever.

And with a lack of sleep and the whole day's events catching up with her, Donna began ranting at him angrily, just… needed an outlet for all her pent-up emotional stress.

'You speak far too fast and it's giving me a headache! So just shut up Space Man and let me think!' she cried angrily, and the Doctor swayed slightly on his feet, but was silent.

'So… I get pulled inside your spaceship, and you have no idea how. I was at my wedding… what's my wedding got to do with your Tardis?' she demanded. She knew this was sneaky, trying to give him a clue like that, but she really didn't care. All she wanted right now was to go to sleep, and wake up in her Tardis bedroom and find out that nothing after going to Shan Shen was real but just a nightmare. Sadly, she knew it was real, and she needed to keep on going for now.

The Doctor didn't say anything; he just looked at her for a moment before responding.

'You told me to be quiet' the Doctor reminded her cheekily. And that's when Donna's emotions and the stress of the never-ending day got the better of her. Whipping her hand through the air faster than one could blink, she slapped the Doctor around the face, hard. His head jerked back and he stumbled back.

'What was _that_ for?' the Doctor cried indignantly, rubbing his sore cheek.

'For being a cheeky sod! Now this all started at my wedding so you take me there right now!' she shrieked at him. The Doctor just stared at her; slack jawed, before an angry look took over his face.

'Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?' he demanded, throwing his instruments down and moving over to the console.

'Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System' she told him, saying it slowly to make it stick, as if talking to a half-wit. She knew it wasn't really necessary, but if she had just said Saint Mary's, chances are they would end up on a different continent instead of a few miles away across London with the Doctor's terrible driving.

That was when she spotted the same purple blouse that she had seen last time. And that gave her an idea. The Tardis had said to get him to open up more, so why not start now?

'So who else is here?' she asked quietly, and the Doctor looked up from the controls at her, shocked.

'What?' he practically squeaked, amazed by her observational abilities.

'That blouse. Unless you're a cross-dressing alien, I'm fairly sure it belongs to a girl, so where is she?' Donna asked.

'She's gone' the Doctor said miserably.

'Where? What happened to her?' Donna asked gently. She didn't like this much, having to pretend not to know a thing, but she knew she had to. She couldn't allow him to find out the truth about what she had just done. And he needed to open up more; it wasn't healthy from him to keep so much bottled away. So if she had to play dirty to get him to tell her the truth than she would.

'I lost her' the Doctor said darkly, not looking at her, concentrating on the controls.

'I'm sorry' she said gently, and he looked up at her sharply, almost angrily.

'She's not dead! She isn't! She is alive and safe and living her life! She just… she's gone. Now! Right! Chiswick!' he growled as he turned away from her.

Well, that was a little more than the last time. Last time they had been bouncing up and down the motorway before he told her Rose was still alive. Maybe this whole 'Opening up' thing would be easier than she thought. But of course, this was only one sentence. It would take a hell of a lot more than that to get the Doctor to stop shutting himself off like he always did when he claimed he was 'alright'.

'Good! Now, once I've got to my wedding maybe than we can get this whole thing sorted out' Donna said to change the subject. Now that she didn't have the past her screaming at her for control, she didn't actually want to go to the wedding, but she knew she had too. And that meant one thing she wasn't sure she was prepared for. She was going to have to face Lance. She had loved him, but she didn't now. Not now she knew the truth about him, how lowly and cowardly he was. But if it meant sorting this whole thing out before she was free to travel again, she'd do it. Only because she had too though and certainly not because she wanted too.

'Hope so' the Doctor grunted. He didn't sound too happy about what he had just let slip, and Donna knew he was going to be more careful about that in the future. But if there was one thing Donna Noble could do, it was argue. So this time, she was going to fight tooth and nail to get more out of him before the day was done.

Suddenly they landed with a loud bump which almost threw them off their feet, and Donna poked her head out the door, sighing in annoyance. Of course, why did she expect anything different? They were in that street again! The same one they had ended up at last time.

'Space Man? You might wanna take your test for this thing again. We're in London, but in completely the wrong county!' she called to him. She heard him groaned before he rushed out the door, and then he began stroking the Tardis door in concern. Donna just looked at him funnily. Even though she had seen him do that hundreds of times before, it was still weird to see a grown man stroking a wooden door.

'Something's wrong with her' he muttered to himself and Donna rolled her eyes, before she sent another message to the Tardis.

**'What is it? What's happened to you?'** she asked in concern.

_'Huon particles in you and the air! Making me feel sick!'_ the Tardis called back.

**'Oh yeah! I forgot about that. Sorry'** Donna replied back in her mind. The Doctor of course had no idea about the silent conversation behind his back before he was off talking again.

'It's like she's... recalibrating!' he mused before he ran back into the Tardis, right up to the console.

'She's digesting' he called back to Donna, who was barely paying attention. She was much more absorbed in her discussion with the Tardis.

**'What do I do? He's already suspicious! How do I throw him off?**' Donna asked frantically.

_'React to me!_' was all the Tardis said before the telepathic connection ended.

'Reach to me'? Oh right, she should be freaking out right about now.

'Oh my god! It's, it's … it's bigger on the inside!' Donna cried, feigning distress. The Doctor turned around and calmly walked back out of the box and over to her.

'Yes it is. But right now Donna, I need you think carefully. Has anything odd happened to you? Anything… different. Like, I don't know… Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you... have you seen lights in the sky? Or... did you touch something? Something… something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or... who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?' he asked her gently.

'Doctor, it's my wedding day, _that_ is what's different to normal. And that's where I was when I ended up in the Tardis, I was walking down the aisle, so it has to be linked to that in some way' Donna told him softly. The Doctor frowned, not convinced and not understanding how a simple human wedding could end with the bride ending up in his Tardis, but he nodded relentlessly. It was the only thing he had to go on right now. Blimey this woman was good! Sort of reminded him of… no, there was only one of her and this woman would NOT be replacing her. Nobody could ever replace his beautiful precious Rose.

Pushing that thought away, the Doctor meekly responded to Donna's last sentence.

'Right, well then… Donna Noble… let's not keep your groom waiting' he said, plastering a smile onto his face before he grabbed her hand and pulled her away in a run, causing Donna to laugh slightly as they barged out of the alleyway they were in and out into the hectic high street.

Donna spotted a taxi and ran for it, waving her hand madly. But the driver ignored her, and the black car sped past her.

'Oi!' she cried in annoyance, before running off to attract the attention of another one. But it ignored her too. The Doctor tried to help as well, but they just kept ignoring them both.

'Do you have this effect on everyone? Why aren't they stopping?' the Doctor wondered aloud.

'They think I'm in fancy dress' Donna shook her head. She knew what was coming next, and god was it humiliating!

'Stay off the sauce darlin'!' a man laughed as he drove past her.

'He thinks I'm drunk' she winced, waiting for it…

Two young teenage boys drove past, the window down and they were both shouting out.

'You're fooling no-one, mate!' they roared with laughter as they sped off. When Donna just pressed a hand to her forehead, the Doctor looked between her and the car speeding away.

'Do they… do they think you're in drag?!' the Doctor asked incredulously, before he shoved his fist into his mouth to muffle his fits of laughter.

'Shut up' Donna warned him, before she stuck her two little fingers into the corners of her mouth and blew hard. The Doctor pressed his hands to his ear, wincing at the piercing whistle. Immediately, a taxi pulled over and she opened the door.

'A warning might have been nice' the Doctor grumbled.

'Be quiet, and get in quickly' she ordered and the Doctor obeyed, scooting over so Donna could get in too.

'Where too love?' the driver asked.

'Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road' Donna replied, before turning to the Doctor.

'Please tell me you have some money' she pleaded.

'Err… nope. Why, don't you?' he looked at her in confusion.

'Look at me, I'm currently sporting a very nice and even more so expensive wedding dress. Tell me Doctor, have you ever once in your life seen a bride carrying a purse or a handbag? No, and that's because they don't. Nor do they have pockets, or shove rolled up tenners in their bra!' Donna ranted at him, but it seemed she had been just a little too loud, as the driver brought the taxi to a grinding halt and turned back to face the two of them.

'No means of payment, no ferry, now hop it!' he commanded rudely, jerking his head in the direction of the door. Sighing, Donna got out and the Doctor followed her. The taxi sped away.

'What a git, no Christmas spirit at all!' Donna complained to the Doctor rather than hurling insults after the drive like she remembered doing last time. The Doctor looked down at her in surprize.

'Is it Christmas?' he asked, looking around and spotting some holiday decorations in various shop windows.

'Well it is on this planet! Not sure about the other ones you've been on' she smirked at him teasingly, before she remembered herself. She was supposed to be acting more grumpy and angry about the way her 'special day' was turning out. She shouldn't be this playful yet!

Spinning around for a way to fix that little slip, Donna spotted a telephone box and beamed at the sight of it.

'Aha! A phone box! I can call them and reverse the changes! Ha!' she laughed happily as she jogged over to it and picked up the phone. The Doctor forced his way into the booth too, and with a loud buzzing noise, Donna saw him use his sonic screwdriver on the receiver.

'What was that thing?' she played dumb.

'My Sonic screwdriver' the Doctor said proudly.

'Are you 'The Doctor' or 'The Janitor'?' she joked as she began typing on the keypad.

'Definitely The Doctor. Now call direct and I'll go get some money' the Doctor stated before he dashed off.

Donna frowned as she thought for a moment. What would say she to her mother? The last time, Sylvia had started on her about 'silly little pranks' and how Donna's message had been interpreted as a joke. Whilst she argued very heatedly with her mother and their relationship was very strained, maybe this opportunity to strengthen her relationship with the Doctor could also be used to improve her relationship with her mother too. And with a new resolve in heart, Donna began her message.

'Mum, its Donna! Some very strange stuff is going on but I'm still in the city. I'm not really sure where I am, but I'm on my way to the reception. I think it's too late to get married now but I haven't got cold feet or anything. I'm sorry and just… try not to worry. I love you mum' Donna said before she hung up. Hopeful that message would make her mum worry less and at least if it didn't, Donna had told her exactly where she would be heading too.

Exiting the booth, Donna looked around for the Doctor, and spotted him by a cash machine. She knew that last time she had borrowed a tenner of that woman (Who she remembered NOT paying back despite promising she would, oops!) and getting into that taxi with the Santa that kidnapped her, and that had burnt out the Tardis. But maybe this time, she could avoid all that. And she certainly didn't want to have to jump out into a motorway again. She began to walk towards the Doctor.

_'No! You must meet Santa!'_ the Tardis hummed urgently in her mind, and Donna stopped.

**'Oh no, really, seriously. You want me to get kidnapped all over again?!' **Donna protested irritably.

_'You must! The Doctor needs to know about them!'_ the Tardis warned and Donna sighed. That was true. Without her being kidnapped by the Santas, he wouldn't have found out about them and rescued her. And they wouldn't have had that talk on the roof where she had let slip about her place of work or how she met Lance. And without that, they wouldn't be able to deal with the Racnoss and the Doctor wouldn't know what had caused her to be dozed with Huon particles. And he needed to know all of that! It was so important, it could not be changed!

**'It's a tipping point isn't it?'**Donna said quietly. The Doctor had explained fixed points before, and he had also explained tipping points. Tipping points were moments which could be changed, like Flux time, but different seeing as completely different events occurred depending on which way the tipping point went. A whole new sequence would play out, but this one needed to happen in the way the original had or it would be a disaster for the whole world. The Racnoss would take over the world and wipe out every human, and the entire future timeline would just… shatter. This was such an important tipping point Donna nearly felt sick thinking about it!

_'It is! And it must go the way you remember! Or else the Doctor will die under the water!'_ the Tardis cried, and Donna winced as she remembered what had happened in her little alternate universe created by the Time Beetle. But it would be worse this time. Because she would die too and then there'd be no one to undo the damage. Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Captain Jack and Torchwood, they'd all die in exactly the same way they had in her alternate universe. All because she didn't get into that taxi with the Santa. God this was such a mess! But if it was a choice between doing what was right and doing what was easy, the Doctor, her best friend version the Doctor, would want her to do what was right, just like he had shown her.

Donna changed paths and stepped in front of the woman she had asked last time and put on a pleading, distressed face which was actually very convincing.

'Excuse me… I'm begging you. I'm getting married, I really am and I'm late and I just need to borrow a tenner and I'll pay you back I promise and its Christmas' she begged. Out of the corner of her eye, Donna saw the Doctor at the machine, using the sonic on it. Oh she'd have to be quick!

The woman, who was almost laughing at her distress, pulled out her purse and gave Donna the money. And this time, she expressly offered to meet up at a little café just across the road in a couple of days' time so that she could pay her back. With that done and settled, Donna dashed towards the taxi and got into the back.

'Listen Bolt Bucket, I know exactly who and what you are, so you watch it, and you keep watching' Donna growled at it, pulling back the robot's hood and its Santa mask fell away, revealing the golden metal face of the Robo-Form.

Without replying to her, the Robo-Form put its foot down hard on the accelerator and they were off going forty miles an hour in less than ten seconds.

Looking over her shoulder and out the back window, Donna saw the Doctor yelling after her, before he ran off in the direction of the Tardis. Donna sighed. This was where time tipped. She hoped that she might be able to change some in the future.

…

Last time, Donna remembered screaming and hammering on the windows, but this time she was just silently sat, reflecting to herself. The Doctor would save her, so she might as well conserve her energy.

And she was thinking about what she could do to try and help alter events. So far, not much was coming to her. Everything that had happened last time had directly caused something else to happen. So if she changed anything, the whole timeline could easily shatter.

She felt a tiny bit of resentment towards the Tardis for placing her in this position before she crushed it down. The Tardis had been saving her! Saving the Doctor from being alone! She should be grateful, and this was just the first hurdle. She had plenty more trying times to face if she was going to pull this off. She was just praying that she had the strength to do it.

It was then that Donna heard the loud bumping of wood against tarmac, and turning to look out the window, Donna beamed as she saw the Tardis flying towards her.

'Nice one Space Man' she whispered to herself before she confidently leaned forwards to talk to the Robo-Form.

'You see that! That's my friend, and he's come to get me!' she taunted the robotic creature before she wound down the window, just as the Tardis pulled up alongside, hovering next to her.

'Doctor! The door's locked!' she called before he could even open his mouth. Growling, the Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonic, using it on the door. The lock clicked open.

'Donna, you've got to jump!' the Doctor called, but just as Donna was about to open the door, the car sped off, making her fall back onto the seat with a small squeal of surprize.

Looking out the window again, Donna saw the Doctor tugging on a bit of string and the Tardis rocketed forwards, smacking the back of the car in front. Pointing his sonic at the driver, the Doctor fused his hands and stopped him from moving away again.

'Come on Donna!' he called and Donna bravely threw the door open. But then she made the mistake of looking down and seeing the road moving so quickly beneath her, Donna gasped.

'I… Doctor I can't!' she exclaimed, frightened.

'You can Donna! You can do it, jump!' the Doctor encouraged her gently. Loathing herself for using such a dirty move but knowing it was necessary to get the Doctor to open up more, Donna said words similar but also different to what she had asked the first time.

'That friend of yours, what was her name?' Donna asked. The Doctor looked at her incredulously.

'Now? You're asking me this now?!' he looked at her, his mouth hanging open at her appalling time for such personal questions.

'Yeah, I'm asking you this now' she countered and the Doctor growled in annoyance.

'Her name was Rose Tyler, happy?' he glared at her.

'Rose… lovely name, but what I wanna know it, did she trust you? Could she jump out of a car into traffic and you'd get her away safely?' she wanted to know. The Doctor looked at her, shocked at how she had related Rose to this situation, but answered anyway.

'Yes she did. She trusted me more than she ever trusted anybody else. I always put her safety first, and that's why she's gone. So yes, Rose trusted me… and you can too, now jump Donna!' the Doctor called.

Feeling a sense of satisfaction at managing to get all that out of him, Donna literally threw herself from the taxi and into his waiting arms. The force of her jump knocked them both over and using her feet Donna kicked the Tardis doors closed whist the Doctor rolled out from underneath her and sprinted towards the controls.

And within moments Donna felt the Tardis flying upwards, far away from the motorway and onto the next setting for this familiar adventure.

…

With her legs hanging over the edge of the rooftop they were on, Donna hummed lightly to herself as the Doctor used a fire-extinguisher to put a small fire that had sparked in the Tardis out.

Having checked her watch, Donna knew that the wedding was over now. But she didn't really mind. Soon enough the truth about Lance would be exposed and he had more than got what was coming to him in the original timeline. But maybe this time, she could save him. Then she'd slap him from wall to wall from what he had done to her. A bright smile overtook her face at that thought, but she quickly removed it as the Doctor plonked down next to her, his own feet dangling over the edge too.

'The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?' the Doctor asked her.

No! Of course she wasn't! Since waking up from her bed she had been sucked into an alternate universe and had then had to restore her own personal timeline, she had went on a wild goose chase around the universe looking for her own planet, she had nearly burnt to death in the Tardis, caused a biological Metacrisis, saved every single universe for a murdering maniac and had been sent back down her own timeline to this very day. All right? Not so much!

But of course she couldn't say any of that, so instead she decided she'd better reply with something else.

'Yeah… I suppose… just, well we missed it' Donna told him, faking sadness over the loss of her wedding day. But really, she had moved on, it didn't hurt so much anymore, and she knew from experience, her life would go on. Seeing everything that was out in space, it really had put her wedding day in perspective, and considering what her 'fiancée' was really up too; she was rather delighted that she _hadn't_ married him!

'Well, you can book another date' the Doctor suggested, trying to cheer her up.

'I don't know, maybe… but anyway, still got the holiday, you know, what would have been our honeymoon' Donna shrugged it off. It wasn't real. It never had been. It was just her past-self's mistake, but she knew better now.

'Yeah... yeah... sorry' the Doctor mumbled apologetically.

'Nah, you were just as surprized as I was Space Man, so it's not really your fault' she told him sincerely.

'Oh! That's a change from an alien with a probe that needs to keep his thing in his pants' the Doctor laughed and Donna joined in. She honestly couldn't believe that that had come out of her mouth! It was so embarrassing, but his face had been so funny at the same time.

'Well anyway, it's not like you've got a time machine so we can't go back and get it right anyway' Donna said jokingly.

'Nah, but even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline… apparently' the Doctor shrugged, trying to be nonchalant and failing miserably.

'Anyway, you'd better put this on' the Doctor said, pulling a simply gold wedding ring out of his jacket pocket.

'Oh thank you very much, is it fun, rubbing it in?' she drawled sarcastically.

'Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden' the Doctor explained gently as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Donna inwardly shook her head. This tiny piece of metal wasn't going to do anything for her!

'With this ring, I thee bio-damp' he joked.

'For better or for worse' Donna laughed, before a new thought occurred to her, and she asked a question before she could even stop herself.

'Hold on, what have you got a wedding ring for? Were you going to propose to Rose or something?' she asked, trying to be casual, but the smile was sucked right off the Doctor's face.

'No! I wasn't! It… wasn't like that… I… and she… but no… it was nothing like that, well it was just not that far along… no, I wasn't' the Doctor fumbled over his words.

'Well what was it then?' she asked gently.

'It doesn't matter, because she's gone' the Doctor said grumpily, and sighing, Donna decided to let it drop… for now.

'So, anyway, Christmas, robot Santas? What it all about?' Donna asked, not just trying to get the conversation on track as to where it needed to go but also wanting to change the subject. It seemed cracking him open was going to be harder than she had first thought, but this was a good start. She could build upon this later.

'Ah, your basic Robo-scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. I met them last Christmas' the Doctor stated, his voice softening but still a little cool compared to what it normally was.

'Why, what happened then?' she asked. She _still_ couldn't really remember what had happened that Christmas, stupid hang-over!

'There was a great big spaceship? Hovering over London? You didn't notice?' he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

'Everyone up on a roof yeah?' she asked and he nodded.

'That's the one' he confirmed.

'Yeah I heard about that. I had a bit of a hangover so I can't really remember it myself' she shrugged. The Doctor just looked at her pointedly, but apparently decided it wasn't worth pursuing. Instead, the Doctor scanned the London landscape surrounding them.

'I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate. With this… family. Rose, she had this family. Well, they were… still... gone now' he said softly, sadness lining her tone.

'Doctor, what happened to Rose? Where did she go?' Donna asked gently, but it seemed the Doctor was in no mood to continue talking about Rose Tyler. It was obviously too painful for him right now.

'The real question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know…' the Doctor frowned and Donna scowled slightly. Always a closed book! Well that would be changing if she managed to get her own way, which she would. She was Donna Noble, Argumentative Queen extraordinaire!

'Well, there's got to be something about me which separate me from a normal person. So do some kind of alien scan and find out what it is.' Donna ordered.

'Oh, good idea!' the Doctor cried, obvious impressed by that suggestion, and practically diving into his pocket, he brought out the sonic and began scanning her with it.

'What's your job?' he asked as he scanned her and Donna felt a twinge of excitement flitter in her stomach. This was it, the moment the pieces all started falling into place.

'I'm a secretary. I work at a place good H.C. Clements as a temp. It's where I met Lance' Donna started to explain, whilst the Doctor frowned over his results.

'It's weird, I mean there's got to be something about you that they're interest in, but… you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important…' the Doctor listed, and Donna grew redder and redder in the face as he went.

'You are coming dangerously close to getting another smack you are Martian Boy!' she warned him threateningly and the Doctor gulped fearfully, lowering the sonic and pocketing it before he said anything else to annoy her.

'Sorry. So anyway, H.C Clements and Lance, tell me about it' he instructed and Donna obeyed, seeing as she knew this was all stuff he needed to know to solve all this.

'Well it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never gonna fit in here. But then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. I thought it was really odd at the time. I mean, he's the head of HR so what's he interested in me for? But he was nice, he was funny. I did wonder if he was just using me for something, but then I fell for him and I sort of managed to convince him to marry me… not so sure it was a good idea now. It was only six months ago after all' Donna explained. Throughout that little chat she had dropped in some very important points which might just make the Doctor more vary of the man when they met. At least that way, the Doctor would know beforehand, which could only be a good thing.

'Yeah it is bit a quick to get married' the Doctor agreed softly.

'I know! But it just felt so right! And then all this happens and it makes me wonder if it just wasn't meant to be' Donna sighed, but again, she was deliberately trying to suggest without outright saying it that something in their relationship wasn't quite right.

Sensing this was quickly becoming a bit touchy for Donna, the Doctor changed the subject back to her place of work.

'So what does HC Clements actually do?' he asked curiously.

'Oh, security systems, you know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'. Still, good business considering it basically just makes keys' Donna dropped another hint.

She felt a low hum in the back of her mind from the Tardis. It wasn't a word, just a 'silent' warning to stop before he became suspicious. That would be the last hint for now, but it seemed as though he had picked up on that one.

'Keys…' he mused aloud, before Donna turned the tables on him.

'Anyway, enough about me, it's your turn' she told him and he looked at her, slightly shocked by the firmness in her voice.

'What?' he practically yelped.

'I've told you about my relationship, so it's only fair you tell me about yours. Now, what were you and Rose to each other?' she demanded. The Doctor looked shocked, but Donna just looked at him pointedly, warningly even, and then to her general amazement, his firmly built shields began to crack ever so slightly.

'She was my… everything. But I never told her. There was… there was this moment when I was saying goodbye, right before you appeared actually, and I managed to get out 'Rose Tyler' but before I could finish the transmission ended. I never got the chance to tell her how much I loved her' the Doctor admitted, and Donna swore she saw a tear sparkling in his eye.

'Where is she Doctor? Why can't you go get her?' she asked gently, patting his arm.

'She's trapped in a parallel universe, and I can't get there because the walls between the worlds are sealed up again. She's gone forever; she'll never be coming back' the Doctor said miserably. Donna just patted his arm in sympathy. He didn't deserve this, and worse than that, he was wrong. Rose WOULD be coming back, but she couldn't even tell him. It wasn't fair. But that was the way it had to be. And hey, if she managed to avoid the Metacrisis, there wouldn't be a duplicate Doctor for Rose to care for, and that meant that maybe Rose would be able to stay with the Doctor like they had both wanted. She could hope after all.

'Anyway, enough of all this, isn't it about time that we get you back to your family, won't they be worried?' he asked her, deliberately changing the subject and fighting hard to regain his composure. Donna sighed inwardly. She knew it wouldn't last for long, but that had been good. He had actually admitted that he loved Rose. And she couldn't remember a time in the original timeline where he had ever admitted that! Maybe it was because it was so close after she was gone.

'Yeah, I suppose. I told my mum to go to the reception so that's where they'll all be. And you can come too, I'm not explaining all this on my own Martian Boy' she smirked as she got to her feet and began walking towards the fire escape so they could get down.

The Doctor stood up too, shaking his head as he followed her.

'Yeah, I'm not from Mars' he pointed out but Donna just ignored him. She knew _exactly_ where he was from after all, but of course, she couldn't let him know that she knew that. She had a sinking feeling she was going to have to get used to that feeling _very_ quickly.

…

Striding into her reception for the second time in her life, Donna looked around and felt a twinge of annoyance. She had said to go to the reception yeah, but that didn't mean everyone had to enjoy it so much!

She gasped slightly as she spotted Lance. Well that proved it. She was certainly back in her own timeline. She felt a wave of anger hit her as she thought about what he was really up too, but she bit it down, she needed to act normal, she couldn't let on, not yet.

Suddenly one by one everyone started to notice her, until only Lance and much to Donna's chagrin _Nerys_, were the only ones dancing. When the music cut out, both of them looked around at her.

'When I said go to the reception I meant to wait, not have the time of your lives without me!' she fumed, her voice carrying like a trumpet call.

'Donna… what happened to ya?!' Lance asked, feigning concern.

'Oh, bothered about me are you? It certainly looks like it' Donna nodded her head at his arms, which were still wrapped around Nerys. As if realising that, Lance stepped away from the blonde harpy of a woman.

'Well you'd run off so why shouldn't he dance with someone else?' Nerys butted in rudely.

'Button it Nerys' Donna glared at her rival.

'Hello! I'm the Doctor if anybody's interested' the Doctor chipped in here.

'Not now' Donna hissed at him. She turned back to open her mouth again, but at that moment Sylvia came strutting over to them.

'Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your message in the end, 'Don't worry'? You literally _disappeared_ Donna. Of course I was worried, you're my daughter! So I thought we could start the party to take our minds of it. But never mind that! What the hell happened?! How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know' Sylvia was suddenly drowned out by everyone talking at once, people wanting to do how she had done it and where she had gone.

Donna looked at them all, and unable to think of another way despite really NOT wanting to do it again, she burst into tears. She tensed slightly as Lance wrapped his arms around her. She resisted the urge to punch him in the face for _daring_ to touch her. She turned her head and winked at the Doctor, who smirked in amusement.

It wasn't long before the party was back in the full swing of it. Last time, Donna had been dancing with Lance. This time, her skin crawled just looking at him. But to be fair to her, she had had a long time to just be angry at him, so it was hard to push that feeling away.

So instead of dancing, Donna had decided to get something to eat. Despite physically being her past self, Donna's true self hadn't eaten for what felt like days, since before the Time Beetle. In fact, that drink she and the Doctor had had on Shan Shen was the very last thing she had consumed. She was honestly surprized she hadn't collapsed from hunger yet.

And she knew the Doctor too. It must have been a while since he had last eaten. And so filling a party plate to the brim with little sandwiches and pasties and cakes, she made her way over to the time lord who was leaning against the bar.

'Oi, free bar mate, get the drinks in' she smiled at him, and smirking slightly, the Doctor turned to the barman and obtained two drinks. A vodka and coke for Donna, and a Scotch for him.

'Here, thought you might be hungry, I know I am' Donna said, placing the plate on the bar.

'Thanks' the Doctor said, picking up a mini sausage roll and munching on it hungrily.

'So, any closer to figuring out what happened?' Donna asked.

'No, not yet, although I was just thinking about looking something up on the internet' the Doctor told her though a mouthful of sausage.

'What's that then?' Donna asked.

'Who owns H.C. Clements. You don't know do you?' he asked curiously.

'Some organisation called Torchwood or something. What's wrong?' she asked in concern as he tensed at the word 'Torchwood'.

'They caused the Battle of Canary Wharf' he said, darkness in his voice and eyes.

'That battle between those Cybermen things? And those other ones… err… the Daleks?' she asked, pretending know to be certain on the name. Now though, she'd never forget them. It had only been a few hours for her since she had seen their creator!

'That's the one. They caused Rose to be trapped in the parallel world' he said angrily, and Donna, whilst surprized he had offered that up without any provoking from her, decided to change the subject before he got too angry.

'But Torchwood collapsed, so that mean's H.C. Clements stayed in business. Does that mean someone snuck in and took over?' she asked.

'Could be, you're very good at this Donna Noble' he winked at her, before something else caught his attention.

'Oho! Look at that!' he cried, pointing at a camera man, Donna's Cousin Barney. He bounded over to him, whilst Donna called after him.

'But I haven't finished!' she protested. She really was very hungry after all!

'Later!' the Doctor called back snappishly.

'Later' Donna mocked his voice in a whiny tone to herself as she drained her drink and stuffing one last sandwich into her mouth, she chased after the crazy time lord.

'Hello! Sorry, I was just wondering if you have footage of Donna disappearing?' he asked as Donna joined them.

'Hey Barney!' she greeted him with a little hug.

'Donna! Nice trick love I'll give you that much' he smirked at her before turning back to the Doctor.

'And yeah I have, I taped the whole thing, they've all had a look. They said "sell it to You've Been Framed". I said "more like the News". Here we are…' he said, beginning to play the footage as the Doctor and Donna watched. A beaming Donna was walking down the aisle, happy as Larry, when suddenly she was covered in a veil of golden particles, and screaming, she disappearing into a cloud of dust which flittered out through the ceiling.

'Can't be! Play it again?' the Doctor ordered and Barney played it again.

'Like I said, nice trick. How did you do it anyway Donna?' he asked her.

'Ah Barney, never reveal your best tricks' Donna waved him off. What else could she say; her fiancée had poisoned her for a giant alien spider? That would go down well.

The Doctor watched the video again, a stunned look of shock lining his face.

'But that looks like... Huon Particles!' the Doctor cried in amazement.

'What the hell are Huon particles?' Donna pretended to ask. Already this was grating on her nerves. Knowing things but unable to tell them.

She felt the Tardis give her an encouraging hum in her mind just as the Doctor replied.

'That's impossible, that's... ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that…' he span around to face her, a look of panic covering his face.

'It can't be hidden by a Biodamper!' he cried in alarm.

'Oh my god, that means they can trace me again! They're coming here!' Donna gasped whilst inside she was kicking herself. How could she have been so stupid? She had led them all right to her family! OK, so maybe the Doctor had had to find out about the secondary controller for the Robots, but she could have lured them somewhere else. She was going to have to really think these things through in the future if she wanted to be able to save some of the people that had been lost the first time around.

'Come on!' he cried, grabbing her hand and dragging her over to a window. And sure enough, two robots in their red Santa coats were there, looking in, one of them holding a controller.

'Oh great! What's that controller for?' she asked anxiously, knowing what was about to happen.

'It controls something… but what?' the Doctor frowned, looking around the function room. His eyes landed on a Christmas tree, and remembering what had happened last Christmas, he quickly realised exactly what it was being controlled.

'Oh no' he whispered softly.

'What? What is it?' Donna looked at him.

'I'm so sorry' the Doctor told her, before he charged off into the dance floor.

'Get away from the tree!' he began shouting loudly.

'Don't touch the trees!' Donna echoed him with.

'Get away from the Christmas trees, everyone get away from them!' the Doctor repeated. Donna ushered some of the children away from the trees too.

'Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot! Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna… oh!' Donna heard her mother say and she snapped her head upwards. Looking around, she saw the shiny red babbles floating out across the room, spinning like little ballerinas.

Everybody watched, enthralled, all save Donna and the Doctor. And that's when the explosions started.

Like tiny bombs, the babbles exploded around the room and people screamed and ducked for cover. Donna ducked to avoid being hit in the face by a piece of flying furniture as she chased after the Doctor towards the DJ's decks. Ducking behind it, she and the Doctor peered around the side of it, and saw a line of six Santas standing at the other end of the dance floor.

'What do we do now?' she asked the Doctor, who frowned, deep in thought, before an idea came to him.

'Cover your ears this is gonna be really really loud' he warned before he stood up. Donna shoved her fingers into her ears and scrunched up her eyes. This was gonna hurt a lot.

'Oi! Santa! Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver…' the Doctor called over to them before picking up the microphone.

'Don't let him near the sound system' he said into it, before he pressed the sonic next to the amplifiers, causing a harsh sonic buzzing to fill the entire room.

Donna screamed loudly as she pressed her fingers further into her ears. God it felt even worse than last time. Just when she felt she could take no more, the Santas were blown apart and the Doctor stopped his assault.

'Ow, that wasn't nice' Donna mumbled as she followed him over to the Santas. All around the room her family and friends were picking themselves up and reassuring each other they'd be alright. Obviously Donna was worried about them, but she knew from the last time that nobody had been hurt, so this time she was listening more intently to what the doctor was saying about the robots.

'Look at that, remote control for the decorations' he said, showing her the hand held remote for the decorations. Then he pulled off one of the robots' heads and looked closely at it too.

'But there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession' the Doctor frowned.

'Probably the same person behind H.C. Clements' Donna noted, deliberately trying to get that point through to him.

'Good point' the Doctor nodded at her as he began examining the head controller.

'If I can just trace… ah! There's still a signal!' the Doctor said delightedly, before he dashed off, but not before slipping some of the babbles and the remote into his bigger on the inside pockets.

Donna went to run off after him, but stopped when she heard her mother, sounding so scared it hurt Donna to hear, calling out to her.

'Donna… who is he? Who is that man?' she asked, actually trembling.

Last time Donna hadn't had an answer for her, but this time, she did.

'He's the Doctor mum, and he's the one gonna save you and me and everyone else on this whole planet' and without another word, Donna rushed off after him.

…

Finding the Doctor standing in the middle of the car park, the sonic pointed at the sky, Donna rushed over to him.

'You were right Donna! There's someone behind this, directing the Robo-force!' the Doctor cried at her when she reached him.

'So what are they up to? And how did I get stacked up with those Huon Particles?' she asked.

'I don't know yet but I'm working on it' the Doctor assured her.

'Well what are you doing with that?' she asked, pointing at the sonic.

'Trying to find the controller. If we find that, we'll get the answers to everything else too' the Doctor explained.

'Oh, I've got the signal, I've got it! It's up there. Something in the sky!' the Doctor cried, and Donna winced, remembering the Star Web, not just in this reality but her alternate one caused by the Time Beetle.

'A spaceship?' she asked.

'Could be' the Doctor nodded, before he groaned in disappointment.

'I've lost the signal' he cried before spinning around to face her.

'You were right Donna; we've got to get to your office, H C Clements. That's got to where it all started. Lance - is it Lance? Can you give me a lift?' he asked, and turning, Donna saw that Lance had followed them out.

'No, no, no, no, no, you've been drinking, we'll go in mine' Donna shook her head. After all, the last thing they needed was getting pulled over by a copper. And if Lance got arrested, she had no idea how things would turn out with the Express.

'You had that vodka' the Doctor reminded her.

'But it was diluted by the coke and I only had one!' Donna cried as she ran off in the direction of her little pink Honda.

Jumping into the driver's seat, Lance got into the passenger's side and the Doctor clambered into the back. And then she was off and away. But of course, unless it was by Tardis, it was far too slow for the Doctor's liking.

'Not exactly a chase is it?' he grumbled.

'Oi! There's a speed limit, and if we get pulled in how are we gonna find out what's going on then? And anyway, I'm wearing a wedding dress, I'll never live it down if I go to jail dressed like this' Donna argued back. The Doctor huffed, but didn't complain again.

Soon enough, but still a few minutes later, they arrived outside the towering white skyscraper that was H.C. Clements and the three of them ran in, dashing to the lift and going all the way up to Donna's office.

'This might just be a locksmiths, but if Torchwood were the ones to set this place up then there's got to be a reason' the Doctor thought aloud.

'Torchwood? Who the hell are they?' Lance cried.

'They worked at Canary wharf, and they caused that battle between the Cyberman and the Daleks a few months ago' Donna told him without sparing him a glance. Then the Doctor took over.

'Torchwood was destroyed, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think you were right again Donna, someone else came in and took over the operation' the Doctor said.

'And they're behind the Huon Particles? Or was it someone closer to home?' Donna asked. She bit down a smirk at the nervous look on Lance's face, but was glad to see a calculating one set into the Doctor's.

'Another good point. OH! That's how you did it!' the Doctor beamed.

'Did what?' Donna frowned at him.

'Got into the Tardis! You see Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. Say... that's the TARDIS' he said, holding up a blue mug.

'And that's you' he carried on, picking up a yellow pencil.

'The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and WHAP!' he cried, throwing the pencil into the mug.

'You were pulled inside the Tardis' he beamed at her.

'Are you saying that I'm a pencil inside a mug?' she asked, trying to sound offended, but really all she was doing was trying to wind him up.

'Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up' the Doctor said cheekily.

'Excuse me? Are you commenting on my breast size?' she huffed, still keeping the pretence going just a little longer.

'No! I wasn't! I just meant…' the Doctor squeaked before Donna smirked, letting out a little giggle.

'You're not cross, you're just playing! That is SO unfair!' the Doctor pouted and Donna started laughing her head off. Huffing and shaking his head, the Doctor turned to Lance.

'Lance? What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?' he asked his voice calm and back to normal.

'I don't know; I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself?! What the hell are we talking about?' Lance cried defensively.

'Alright sweetheart calm down, there's no need to be so defensive' Donna pretended to calm him, forcing the word 'Sweetheart' and not 'Dickhead' from her lips, but really what she was doing was dropping another hint about Lance's character.

'This place makes keys, that's the point. And look at this…' the Doctor said, bringing up a 3D plan of the building onto the computer screen of the desk they were standing by.

'We're on the third floor…' he started, before he strode off towards the lift, with Donna and Lance following him.

'Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?' he continued as they reached the glass doors. Pressing the button the doors pinged open and the Doctor stepped inside, looking at the lift controls.

'Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?' the Doctor mused aloud.

'Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?' Lance scoffed, clearly trying to throw them off.

'You saw the plans and the controls. Doctor?' Donna turned to him and he looked at her sharply.

'How do we get down there without the key?' she asked.

'Who needs keys?' he asked cheekily, using the sonic on the controls.

'Whoever's behind all this' Donna shrugged, reminding him of his talk about keys.

'Right then, thanks you two, I can handle this, see you later' the Doctor said as he finished work on the controls.

'Nice try Space Man. You're the one with the answers to this and the one who keeps saving my life, you're not going anywhere without me' Donna said sternly, stepping into the lift without giving the Doctor a chance to complain.

'Lance!' she said pointedly when he didn't follow them.

'Maybe I should go to the police' he said weakly, obviously trying to get away.

'Shut up and get in here now' she commanded and Lance meekly stepped into the lift too.

'To honour and obey?' the Doctor asked mockingly.

'Tell me about it, mate' Lance huffed.

'OI! Button it the pair of you!' Donna commanded. There was a reason she had ordered Lance into the lift this time. The last time, it was purely because she wanted him to be close. This time, it was because she didn't want him running off and warning the Empress.

And as the doors closed and the lift began its descent, Donna gulped nervously to herself. She knew what was down there, and she didn't like it one bit. Because it was time. It was time to face the Racnoss Empress once again. Oh God!

**...**

**And there we go! Now like I said, this story's chapters will be two per episode with an interval chapter in between each episode : ) So anyway, I hope this chapter makes sense and I hope you guys all enjoyed it : ) Please leave a review : )**


	3. The Runaway Bride, Old Endings

**Hello! Happy New Year everyone! So here's the second half of the Runaway Bride, yay! Not much to say really, other then obviously Doctor Who is not mine, and that I hope you all enjoy this chapter : )**

**The Runaway Bride – Old Endings**

As the lift got lower and lower, Donna couldn't help but feel uneasy as a growing sense of dread chewed away in her stomach.

Whilst she may have seen many things that she had never imagined she ever would, the Racnoss had really been where it had all began. So to see the giant spider again, it was nerve wrecking to say the least. But she could do this… she really could… she prayed she could anyway.

She felt a low hum of reassurance flood her mind from the Tardis. Donna forced herself to be brave as the lift doors pinged open. She COULD do this. It would all be alright. It had been the last time and it would be this time too. She'd make sure of it.

Donna, the Doctor and Lance all stepped out into the long, dark, dank corridor which was lit up with a dull eerie green light. Donna could vaguely remember the way to the chamber with the tunnel to the centre of the Earth and the Racnoss, but she couldn't exactly go walking right there could she? The Doctor MIGHT just notice if she seemed to know where to go right off the bat.

'So Where are we then? And idea what goes on down here?' Donna turned to the Doctor.

'Let's find out' the time lord replied, beginning to walk off down the corridor.

'I doubt Mr. Clements knows about this place. What do you think is above us?' she asked.

'No idea' the Doctor said cheerfully. Donna's eyes brightened when she spotted the scooters that they had ridden last time.

'Look over there, we have transport!' she patted the Doctor on the arm.

'Brilliant! Come on then Donna Noble! Allons-y!' he beamed, dashing over to one and hopping on board. Matching his enthusiasm, Donna got on one too. Lance looked at them both as if they were both insane, before he reluctantly got on one too.

They had only managed to get a few yards on the scooters before Donna burst out laughing, the Doctor quickly following her example. Lance didn't though. Honestly, Donna had no idea how she could ever have fallen for him. She decided to just mark it up as a mistake and move on, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

They eventually came to a door which had the words 'Torchwood - authorised personnel only' printed on it, and Donna snorted. As if the Doctor, or anybody, would listen to them.

So naturally they abandoned their scooters and the Doctor turned the steel metal wheel which opened the door to reveal a ladder. The Doctor peered upwards and Donna followed his gaze. She could just see a tiny speck of light high above them.

'Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything' he told them both sternly before he began to climb the ladder.

'Well don't take all day about it. If there is someone behind all this they could be close by' Donna reminded him and he nodded before resuming his climb.

'Donna, have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?!'

'Oh shut up, I don't have time to be dealing with cowards right now' she shot at him venomously. Lance just gaped at her in shock, but Donna ignored him pointedly.

Suddenly Lance's eyes narrowed dangerously as he worked it out, or at least, part of it out. He knew that she knew. Without an ounce of hesitation, he grabbed her by the throat and attempted to drag her off forcefully.

Donna gasped for air and struggled but Lance was behind her, she couldn't aim her fists properly! She reached back with her thumb and felt her way up his face, until she found his eye socket and pushed her numb tail into it.

Lance screamed in agony and throw Donna away from him. The ginger didn't even hesitate. She ran as fast as she could.

'You bitch!' Lance yelled in rage as he chased after her.

Panicking, Donna burst into the same lab they had ended up in last time. The gleaming white surfaces and the bubbling test tubes were exactly the same.

She quickly hid beneath a desk as Lance burst into the room, looking around wildly for her.

'I know you're here! I don't know how you found out, but I know you know' he called out to her and Donna closed her eyes, willing whatever god there was looking down on her not to let him find her.

But she was Donna Noble. The unluckiest one out of them all. And within moments, she heard that dreaded word.

'Gotcha!' Lance cried victoriously, and opening her eyes Donna saw him smirking down at her coldly. She didn't even think, she just reacted. She swung her fist around and it connected with his jaw.

Lance stumbled and Donna pushed past him, running around a desk so it was between them. Lance turned to her, eerily calm with an amused glint in his eyes.

'Keep away from me' Donna hissed at him.

'Sorry Darlin', no can do' Lance mocked her, and Donna snapped. She grabbed a glass beaker and hurled it at him, hitting him squarely in the face. Lance yelled out as glass fragments got lodged in his face, but Donna wasn't done yet.

She pushed the desk aside before she kicked Lance as hard as she could in the guts. He stumbled back and hit his head off the corner of the desk, and he collapsed the ground, unconscious.

There was a small pooling of blood forming around his limp form, but Donna knew enough to know that she hadn't killed him. At that moment, the Doctor burst into the room, a panicked look on his face.

He looked at the dishevelled bride, the unconscious groom, and the messy lab before he closed his gaping mouth. He looked at Donna with wide eyes.

'What happened?!' he asked in shock.

'It was him, he's part of it! He tried to take me to someone else, the one behind all this!' Donna cried, feigning distress. She knew that she had been the one to spark all that, but right now she didn't care. It felt good to get her own back on Lance, and knocking him unconscious seemed perfectly reasonable to her, considering what he had done last time.

'Are you alright?' he asked as he knelt down and checked Lance's neck for a pulse.

'Yeah, I'm a little shaken but I'm alright' Donna nodded, completely honest this time.

'Good, good. Seems like you were right about him, it was a bit too convenient' the Doctor told her.

'Yeah well, just leave him there, he'll be fine. I'm more interested in what all this stuff does' Donna gestured around the lab they were in.

The Doctor frowned slightly. This woman just didn't make sense. Most people would be hurt, freaking out, angry that someone that they trusted had in fact been lying to them from the word go, but this Donna woman didn't seem to mind too much. And then there were those moments where it was like she was shifting between personalities. She just… didn't make any sense!

But maybe she just wanted this to be over, yeah, that had to be it, and if it would help her, the Doctor could do that for her, make it all be over. And so he quickly got to work.

He looked around at some of the machines, especially the huge tube of bubbling crystal clear liquid, before his mouth dropped open.

'Oh that is beautiful! Stunning! Particle extrusion!' he beamed in delight.

'What's it for?' Donna asked. She hadn't missed the way the Doctor had looked at her. He was already suspicious. She'd have to get better at covering stuff up and fast.

'Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Because my people got rid of Huon energy, they unravelled the atomic structure' the Doctor explained to her.

'And who are they? You said you're not a Martian, but if you're an alien than what are you?' Donna pretended to ask.

The Doctor sighed, but answered regardless.

'I'm a Time Lord. But never mind that. This lot have been rebuilding them. They've been using the river! Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result - Huon particles in liquid form' he beamed, picking up a small test tube full of the Huon particles.

'And that's what's inside me? Well how did it get there?' she knew she had to ask. The Doctor turned his gaze onto Lance.

'He made you coffee' he told her sadly.

'He… oh… he was poisoning me all along?' she asked weakly and the Doctor nodded. Donne let out a miserable (fake) sigh.

'I knew it was too good to be true' she said softly.

'I'm sorry' the Doctor offered but she waved him off.

'So anyway, those Huon particles' she said, trying to get him back on track.

'The Articles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then… HA! The wedding! Yes, you were getting married, that's it! Oh Donna you were right all along! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle, oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!' he cheered, but his voice was so loud it was giving her a headache, and she quickly shushed him again.

'Shut up!' she shouted and the Doctor fell silent under her gaze.

'Are you enjoying this?' she asked indignantly and the Doctor quickly shook his head.

'Good. Now you tell me, I've had these particles in me for the past six months and I'm alright. How much longer can I last?' she asked. The Doctor's face darkened.

'A few weeks, tops' he said grimly and Donna blanched. If she didn't get them removed soon, she'd be dead before she could even find the Doctor again!

_'I won't let it come to that'_ the Tardis assured her in her mind. And it seemed as though the Doctor, completely unaware of course, mirrored the ship's sentiments.

'I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose someone else. I promise you' he told her with the upmost sincerity.

'I know. That Rose was lucky, to find someone like you' she told him earnestly. The Doctor looked stunned, before he smiled sadly at her.

'I'm not losing anyone else' he repeated. And then Donna felt panic shot through her heart like a metal spike had pierced her chest. She heard a voice she had not heard in a very long time. And it still haunted her nightmares to this day.

'Oh, she is long since lost' the Empress of the Racnoss hissed over the intercom. The back wall of the lab slid upwards and revealed the secret chamber with the enormous round hole in the floor. Donna remembered nearly falling into it all too well. Hopeful that could be avoided this time around.

'I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!' the dreaded voice told them.

Donna noted that the walls of the chamber were lined with the armed robots wearing black hoods, but she pointedly ignored them as she and the Doctor examined the hole.

'Someone's been digging… oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?' the Doctor asked.

'Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!' the Racnoss replied.

'Really? Seriously? What for?' the Doctor wondered aloud.

'The core' Donna suggested. At least that was slightly better than 'Dinosaurs'.

'What?' he looked at her in confusion.

'The core of the planet. All that molten lava and stuff. A power supply! Trying to help' she shrugged.

'You could be right…' the Doctor turned away thoughtfully.

'Such a clever couple' the Racnoss sneered.

'Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?' the Doctor demanded to know.

'High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas Night' was the reply he got.

'I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom! Come on; let's have a look at you!' the Doctor yelled.

'Who are you with such command?' the Racnoss demanded angrily.

'I'm the Doctor' the Doctor said with his usual confidence.

'Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart' the voice sneered, before there was a shimmer of blue light, and Donna saw the creature that lived in her nightmare.

There, large, red, feminine and as dangerous looking as ever, was the Racnoss, the woman/spider that had tried so hard to kill Donna so very long ago. But it wasn't long ago, not anymore, it was here and now. And Donna was determined to defeat the Empress once again, no matter the cost.

Beside her, the Doctor gaped at the creature, completely stunned.

'The Racnoss, but that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!' he exclaimed, his tone as shocked as his face.

'Empress of the Racnoss' the red spider corrected boastfully.

'If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or… are you the only one?' the Doctor asked, beginning to work it out.

'Such a sharp mind' the alien insect smirked at him.

'That's it, the last of your kind' the Doctor eyed her, before turning to Donna.

'The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets' he explained to her, but the Empress could still hear every word he spoke.

'Racnoss are born starving, is that our fault?' she challenged him.

'Err… Doctor look' she said, sounding disturbed, pointing upwards. There, in the spidery webbing attached to the ceiling, was a pair of feet dangling out.

The Doctor noticed the black and white shoes and grimaced.

'Ah. The mysterious H.C. Clements' the Doctor said mournfully.

'Mm, my Christmas dinner' the Empress cackled, murderously cold in her tone of voice.

'You shouldn't even exist! Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss, they were wiped out' the Doctor cried almost tauntingly.

Donna remembered that right about now she had spotted Lance with an axe, and she had attempted to distract the Empress. But this time, there was no Lance and no axe. So Donna went with her gut, which was telling her to keep the Empress talking until the glitch in the timeline resolved itself and things got back on track. Thankfully this moment wasn't an important tipping point… she hoped.

'So go on, tell us because we're dying to know. Those Huon energy particles. What are they for? Why bother getting a man to poison me with them?' she asked. But the Empress didn't seem interested in answering any questions when she responded.

'You know, I watched your fight with funny little Lance. It was most entertaining' the spider laughed.

'I'm glad you thought so, now answer my question' Donna ordered.

'You're quite funny for such a silly little inspect' the Empress cackled.

'Insect?! I'd look in the mirror if I were you' Donna suggested angrily.

'Oh and you're feisty too!' the alien said, almost sounding impressed.

'Yes I am, so you tell us now what we need to know!' Donna demanded again.

'Patience, all with be revealed at the Awakening!' the Racnoss sneered before adopting a silky smooth tone.

'Unfortunately for you little doctor-man, I only need the bride. _You_ are disposable' she sneered again.

'Well, I know what you mean; I am kind of a homeless wonder. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?' the Doctor wanted to know.

'Do you really want to know?' the alien spider asked mockingly-sweet.

'I really do' the Doctor winked cheekily, laughing at the dark like Donna knew he always did to hide his true fear. Hiding behind the face of a clown, that was the Doctor all over.

'Well, tough! All I need is the bride!' the spider told him, before she turned to the robots lining the walls.

'Kill this chattering little doctor-man!' she ordered and they all raised their guns.

'Don't you dare hurt him!' Donna yelled, her protective instincts over her best friend flaring up inside her.

'No, no, it's all right' the Doctor told her calmly.

'No, I won't let them!' Donna cried. They had been through WAY too much together for him to get shot now. If he did, the entire world would fall into ruins and Donna would be damned if she'd let that happen. She'd lived in a world like that once, and she was determined to stop it from ever happening again.

'At arms!' the Racnoss ordered.

'Take aim!' she instructed them.

'Well, I just want to point out the obvious…' the Doctor began but the Racnoss cut over him.

'They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots' she said with a short evil cackle.

'Just… just… just… hold on, just a tick, just a tiny… just a little… tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it… the spaceship comes to her' the Doctor said, playing with the test tube still in his hands, causing Donna to glow brightly.

'Bloody hell!' Donna cried, forcing herself to react like she was shocked, but really it was just to make the Doctor less suspicious.

'Fire!' Donna heard the Racnoss give the order, but it was too late. In a vortex of blue dust, the Tardis formed around the two of them, and the bullets were harmless against the wooden police box.

Donna turned to the Doctor with a grin.

'That… was bloody brilliant' she grinned happily at him, delighted that that had worked a second time.

'I know! HA!' he cheered happily as he made his way over to the console and began piloting them away.

The entire room shook as they fled the chamber.

…

The Doctor was rushing around the console and Donna was clinging on for dear life.

'Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it' the Doctor told her, rather casually.

'It's a time machine?' Donna 'asked' in awe.

'Oh yes!' the Doctor beamed.

'No way! That is just wizard!' Donna cheered too. The Doctor laughed happily at the word 'wizard'.

'So where and when are we going too?' Donna knew she had to ask.

'We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna - we're going further back than I've ever been before' he beamed at her.

'What… you don't mean... the beginning of the world?!' Donna made her eyes go wide.

'Yes! Isn't that brilliant?' the Doctor asked her excitedly before suddenly the engines stopped and the shaking lessened.

'We've arrived... want to see?' he asked enticingly.

'Definitely!' Donna cheered, dashing over to the doors and throwing them wide open. Even a second time, it was a breath-taking sight. It was spectacular! The sun was just starting to shine through rainbow coloured dust clouds and floating chunks of rocks. It was… magical.

'That is… that is… oh my god' Donna was genuinely lost for words. The last time she had been a bit unenthusiastic, but this time she could appreciate the beauty of it more. And it was wonderful!

'Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth. We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas' the Doctor began to explain before pointing at the sun in the distance.

'That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn' he said happily.

'And let me guess, all these rocks are the earth yeah?' Donna asked and the Doctor nodded.

'All around us... in the dust' the Doctor said poetically.

'Puts everything else into perspective. It's funny isn't it. I once thought that my wedding was the biggest thing ever to happen… but compared to this… it's so tiny' Donna smiled thoughtfully.

'No, but that's what you do. The human race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed' the Doctor told her, slightly impressed by how well see was taking all this. Oh there was definitely something funny about all this. Something funny about _her_. He just couldn't quite place his finger on it.

'So, how does the Racnoss tie into all this?' Donna asked.

'I'm not totally sure yet' the Doctor admitted.

'Do you think the empress has buried something?' Donna asked and the Doctor shrugged.

'I can't see how. I mean, she'd have to do it right now because soon gravity will take hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get the…' the Doctor explained before Donna cut over him.

'The Earth' she smiled.

'So what the real question is... what was that first rock?' Donna said just as a star shaped rock emerged through one of the beautiful blue and purple clouds.

'Oh, look at that' the Doctor pointed at it excitedly.

'Is it the Racnoss?' Donna whispered and the Doctor nodded silently, before he rushed off back to the console to check some readings.

'Hold on… the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?' the Doctor called over to Donna who remained back by the door.

She watched as all the rocks and the dust and the clouds of gas all began to get drawn in by the Racnoss star as if by magnetism.

'Exactly what you said' she replied and the Doctor dashed back over to her look.

'Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth... they _became_ the centre of the Earth. The first rock' the Doctor realised. Suddenly the Tardis gave a great lurk forwards, nearly tossing them both out.

'What was that?' Donna demanded as they settled themselves. In reality she knew of course what it was, but she couldn't let him know that.

'Trouble' the Doctor said grimly as he slammed the doors shut, and a moment later the two of them rushed back over to the console.

The Doctor went straight to the monitor before he let out a groan and rubbed at the back of his head.

'What is it? What's happened?' Donna asked as she rushed to his side.

'Remember that little trick I pulled - particles pulling particles. It works in reverse - they're pulling us back!' the Doctor said as he began to desperately try to pilot them away but there was nothing he could do. The Tardis was beyond his control now.

'Cheeky cow… can't you do something?' Donna asked.

'Maybe, just let me think… Oh! Wait a minute!' he cried, diving under the console and pulling out a large panel with flashing lights and buttons and wires all over it.

'The extrapolator! Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!' the Doctor said gleefully as he began wiring it into the console in a hurry.

Suddenly the Tardis touched down, just as the Doctor finished plugging the extrapolator in.

'Now!' he cried, smacking it with his mallet. The Tardis lurked again, before everything stilled again.

The Doctor and Donna dashed over to the doors and peered out. They were back in the corridors. Donna winced to herself. She knew what was coming next. And she also knew that she couldn't change it.

'We're about 200 yards to the right. Come on!' the Doctor shouted, running off and Donna made after him.

**'Can't I change it?'** Donna asked the Tardis mentally.

_'I'm sorry'_ was the sad reply got received.

Donna let out a sigh as the Doctor suddenly halted, right outside the door leading to the ladder to the Thames Flood Barrier. Donna braced herself. She perked her ears, and she could just about her the swish of a cloak coming closer… or maybe she was just imagining it because she knew it was going to happen… either way, her nerves were on edge.

'Right, what do we do now?' Donna asked, forcing herself to sound brave and not frightened about the Robo-form that she knew was coming for her.

The Doctor had his stethoscope in hand and had it pressed up against the door, obviously trying to hear something on the other side. Donna had no idea what that could be, she didn't remember it from the other timeline anyway.

'I don't know! I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got a history' the Doctor smirked smugly.

'And chances are it's a terrible one' Donna smirked, knowing that from past… future… experience.

'Hang on though, those particles… what are they actually for?' she asked, mentally wincing. She knew it was due any second now.

'There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck' the Doctor said, his back to her, focusing on getting through the door.

Donna closed her eyes as at that very moment, a hand shot out from behind her and covered her mouth. Donna didn't struggle. She didn't call out. This had to be done, and so with that thought in mind, she allowed herself to be steered away.

…

Right the way back to the chamber where Donna was embedded in web and raised to the ceiling. She was rather surprized to find that Lance was NOT up there with her.

'My golden bride. She will finally unlock the heart!' the Racnoss sneered up at her from down below. Donna knew it was risky asking, but she just couldn't help herself.

'If you needed to just a human as a catalyst, why go through all this, why not just use Lance?' she asked calmly. She wasn't overly afraid, she knew the Doctor would come for her soon enough.

'Ah! I would have but after you knocked him unconscious it would probably have choked him pouring the formula down his feebly human throat. So I thought we could have a nice little reunion instead' the Racnoss cackled wickedly.

Donna's mind almost froze… if Lance wasn't in the web, the Empress couldn't throw him to the baby Racnoss… had she actually saved him… and by beating him up no less?!

'Tell me, do you want to be released?' the Racnoss asked.

'I'd say yes but I know you won't. But I should probably tell you, that friend of mine, the Doctor, he's got a thing about saving his friends, so I'd watch out if I were you' Donna smirked at her.

'The chattering little doctor man is irrelevant' the Racnoss told her before getting down to business.

'Activate the particles. Purge every last one!' she shouted and Donna began to glow with a faint gold glow as the Huon Particles were ripped from her body, shooting down like a star into the tunnel below. Donna let out a breath of relief. At least they were gone again, none she didn't have to worry about being killed with deadly particles.

'The secret heart unlocks. And they will waken from their sleep of Ages' the Racnoss was practically beaming in delight.

'The baby Racnoss? And then what?' Donna demanded.

'They will feast on the flesh on many, many humans!' the Racnoss laughed in that drawling cackle of hers.

Donna strained her ears, and could just about make out the chirping of hundreds of spiders and the patters of their feet coming up towards them.

'The web-star shall come to me!' the Racnoss announced and Donna could just about imagine that creepy Christmas star hovering down towards London.

Then the screaming from the city above floated down to them.

'My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web' the empress commanded and Donna paled. She hadn't thought about that. With Lance not there this time, she was the only one in the web! And now it was _her_ that was going to be thrown in!

'Oh shit! Doctor! DOCTOR!' she bellowed at the top of her lungs. The webbing around her began to fall apart… she was going to fall in… shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

She had never felt more relieved than when she heard the buzzing of the sonic screwdriver.

'Swing Donna!' the voice she knew so well called as a particularly thick piece of webbing dangled down in front of her. Donna didn't even hesitate, she just grabbed it. And it was a good thing she did because at that moment the last piece of webbing holding her up fell away.

Donna let out a joyous laugh as she swung, only to groan when she face planted the wall, _again_, and landed splat on her back, _again_.

'Ouch' she muttered as she looked up at the ceiling. That had been WAY to close for comfort.

She would really have to think these things through in the future before doing anything that could upset the timelines in such a way again. If she wasn't careful, she wouldn't even be _alive_ long enough to prevent the Metacrisis!

'Oh, sorry about that' she heard the Doctor say, and getting to her feet, she saw him already standing on the balcony above her, the Robo-mask and cloak already discarded. It would seem that he had thrown them away to save her before the Empress even had to tell him she knew it was him. Donna just put it down to another little glitch in the timelines that had worked itself out.

'Not your fault, thanks by the way' Donna said, genuinely grateful. If he hadn't have gotten there so soon, it would have been her falling down to be feasted on by spiders. God! Even events she had already faced could kill her in different ways! She really had to be exceptionally careful!

'The doctor-man amuses me' the empress cackled, causing their attention to snap back to her. The Doctor leant on the railing of the balcony he was on, addressing her. Donna looked up at him, just knowing what he was about to do. She began running up the stairs. She wouldn't stop him, but she knew that the sooner she got him out of there, the better off he'd be.

'Empress of the Racnoss - I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now' the Doctor called over to her.

'And that's the better option! At least that way you and your children will all get to live! In peace, no more war, no more fighting, please listen to him!' Donna called out too as she reached the Doctor's side. If the Empress refused, Donna would let the Doctor end it, but maybe the Empress would listen this time, maybe she'd see sense. Donna could hope anyway.

'These humans are so funny!' the empress cackled to nobody in particular.

'What's your answer?' the Doctor asked, but he was eyeing Donna thoughtfully. What she had said to the empress, was really impressive. Most humans would be terrified and wouldn't think twice about killing the empress and the rest of her species, but Donna, no, she just wanted them to get the chance to live and not wage war with the universe. God that was so like Rose it practically hurt him to hear.

'Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline' the Racnoss let out a wicked laugh. Donna just shook her head sadly. It wasn't the Doctor's fault, and she would tell him as much. The Racnoss had just sealed her own fate herself.

'Then what happens next is your own doing' the Doctor warned her. The Empress's grin morphed into a vicious snarl.

'I'll show you what happens next' she hissed, before turning her army of Robo-forms which lined the room.

'At arms!' she ordered and they all raised their guns.

'Take aim!' she commanded and they all aimed at the Doctor and Donna.

'And…' she was about to give the order when the Doctor cut over her.

'Relax' the time lord said casually and the robots all went limp.

'OK… nice trick, what have you done this time?' Donna asked him for appearances sake seeing as she knew the answer.

'Guess what I've got, Donna?' he asked, looking at her as she stared at him. He took the remote he had taken at the party out of his trouser pocket.

'Pockets' he beamed at her. Donna rolled her eyes slightly.

'And let me guess, like your Tardis they're bigger on the inside' she said knowingly. One good thing about knowing about the Doctor before he knew that she did, was that she would, for now, always have the upper hand on him! Ha! Her, Donna Noble, Temp for Chiswick, outsmarting her silly old spaceman! Now that really was priceless!

'Oh yes!' he cheered, although he looked mildly put out that he didn't get to be clever and provide the answers like he normally got too.

'If I might interrupt' the Racnoss spat, and they both turned back to look down at her.

'Robo-forms are not necessary. My children may feast on human flesh!' the Racnoss hissed.

'Oh, but I'm not a human. In fact, I'm not even from this planet, I'm a long way from home' the Doctor told her.

'If not the earth then from where?' the Empress asked with narrowed eyes.

'My home planet is far away and long-since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey' the Doctor said powerfully, and it certainly had an effect on the giant spider. Suddenly she was thrashing about and full of rage.

'They murdered the Racnoss!' she shrieked at him.

'He offered you a way out, this is all you're doing' Donna told the Empress sadly. And it was, it really wasn't the Doctor's fault but Donna knew he so well that she knew he'd blame himself for all this. He'd forget that he'd saved the earth; he'd just focus on the fact that he'd killed another species. Donna would be snapping him right out of that if she had her way!

The Doctor didn't say anything. Instead he produced a handful of the red bauble bombs from his pocket. The Empress's eyes widened in horror when she saw them.

'No! No! Don't! No!' the Empress cried, panicking. The Doctor, with guilt and regret written all over his face, tossed the baubles into the air and used the remote to direct them into the walls.

They exploded and broke through the dam above them, causing torrents of water to burst in and fires to break out over the rubble. The Empress wailed in horrified sorrow as all the water began swirling down the hole in the floor like a giant plughole.

'My children!' she screamed in grieve. The Doctor and Donna watched for a moment as she cried and sobbed in genuine loss.

'Doctor… come on. We should… let's go' Donna trailed off weakly. The Doctor didn't respond, so Donna placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

'She wouldn't want you to stay down here, she wouldn't want you to die… she'd want you to carry on, and hope that one day, you might find her again' Donna told him sincerely. She may have only met Rose Tyler briefly, but that much she did know about the brave blonde girl that had walked through reality to find the Doctor again.

The Doctor looked down at her in shock for a moment, before a tear, an honest to god genuine tear, spilled from his eye and rolled down his cheek as Donna's words set in. Donna barely managed to stop herself from gawking at him. He hadn't even cried when Jenny had been shot! Not openly at least!

'I… you're right! Now come on!' the Doctor shouted above the noise and grabbing her hand, the two of them run for their lives up the staircase as the room began to explode, the water level rising rapidly, as if trying to grab them and pull them under.

Below them, the Doctor and Donna heard the Empress's last words.

'Transport me!' she screamed, and looking back, they saw her vanish in a flash of light.

'Oh great, what do we do about her?' Donna asked as she climbed up a ladder to the manhole to the outside world, but she knew what would happen already.

'She's used up all her Huon energy - she's defenceless!' the Doctor called up to her. Donna frowned, the word defenceless resonating through her mind, before she gasped loudly.

'Oh my god! We forgot Lance!' she shrieked in shock. Even though she hated his guts and wished his balls would get ripped off by a charging bull, she didn't want him _dead_. And they'd just left him on the floor of the lab, so chances were he'd have been washed away and down into the pit too! Oh crap!

Donna felt sick to her stomach, she had forgotten all about him! She'd come back to change things, but all she had done was make the Doctor think of her as being a little bit cleverer than the last time. She hadn't changed anybody's fate or anything important. She was so bloody useless!

_'You are NOT useless, and you came back here to save yourself! Anybody else saved is a very happy bonus, but merely a bonus none the less!'_ the Tardis told her sternly in her mind.

Donna didn't reply. She didn't agree at all. So instead she just focused on pushing open the manhole lid and climbing out.

'I'm sorry about Lance Donna… I didn't think to save him' the Doctor admitted guiltily as they both climbed out, swaying on the spot as they balanced on top of the flood barrier.

'It's not your fault' Donna told him. She didn't blame him at all. It was her fault after all. She had saved Lance from being eaten alive. Instead he had drowned to death. Not exactly her greatest moment.

Suddenly there was loud booming sound way up in the sky, and looking up the Doctor and Donna saw the web star being blown apart. Donna let out a sigh as it burnt and crumbled and fell to the earth. Nothing had been altered. It wasn't fair. And she had tried really hard too! Well she knew that next time she would just have to try harder!

'Oh… she didn't even escape… they're all gone then' Donna mumbled sadly.

'I… it's all my fault' the Doctor swallowed guiltily and Donna turned to him sharply.

'It must certainly is not. Without you, every human on this planet would have become meat for baby spiders to feast on. You offered the Racnoss a choice, she refused. That makes it her fault, and hers alone. Have you got that?' Donna looked at him so sternly that the Doctor actually held up his hands in surrender.

'I… suppose you're right' the Doctor admitted but he still sounded unhappy about it. Donna tried to refrain from rolling her eyes. He just couldn't accept that not everything was his responsibility!

'I know I am' was what Donna finally said.

…

They waited until the water had cleared enough for them to be able to wade through, and after checking the lab, the Doctor and Donna found no trace of Lance. They were sure that he had been swept away in the rapids.

Trying her hardest not to think about it, Donna let the Doctor guide her towards the Tardis and after a very quick journey, they stepped out, right into Donna's street.

'There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything' the Doctor smiled slightly, patting the side of the box fondly as he stood in the doorway.

'Like you and me I guess. Let's see, we survived each other's tempers, a kidnapping on a motorway, a bomb blast of a party, the beginning of the earth, a homicidal spider, and a downpour under a river… yeah, definitely survivors you and me' Donna smiled at him and the Doctor chuckled slightly. He suddenly scanned her with the sonic screwdrivers.

'You can add impossible ancient deadly particles to that list' he told her.

'I can't believe he was poisoning me all alone… glad I didn't marry him. But even so, he didn't deserve that. We should have thought about him in time' Donna sighed, still feeling guilty about that.

'I doubt we could have been quick enough to save him even if we had' the Doctor told her gently and Donna just shrugged.

'Anyway, I'd better get inside. They'll be worried' Donna said, looking at her house where her parents could be seen hugging in the living room.

'Best Christmas present they could have' the Doctor smiled at her.

'I suppose. Shame there's no snow though, that would've been nice too' Donna smirked, knowing exactly what he was going to do this time.

'You want snow?' the Doctor asked cheekily, tweaking a hidden switch in the Tardis doorway and causing a ball of light to shot out of the light on top of the box into the sky. It exploded like a firework and snow began to fall to the earth.

Donna worked very hard to keep her face impassive.

'Is that it? I was expecting a tornado or maybe a blizzard to come rolling in. That was a bit of a comedown after everything that happened today' Donna told him with a quirked eyebrow and the Doctor's jaw dropped.

'What?! I just made it snow! How is that a comedown?!' the Doctor pouted furiously. Donna burst out laughing and the Doctor's eyes widened.

'You cheeky… you _were_ impressed! You, Donna Noble, are far too big for your boots' the Doctor told her with a laugh.

'And you, Doctor, are a know-it-all show-off' Donna teased him back good naturedly. The Doctor laughed and a comfortable atmosphere fell around them, but of course, Donna knew she had to break it.

'Are you going to be ok… on your travels I mean?' she asked.

'Of course I am… but what about you? What will you do with yourself now?' the Doctor asked.

Donna smiled. If she went with him now, she could get straight to helping him right from the off. So what if the Tardis had told her to turn him down. She knew herself well enough to know that she wanted to go with him now and not have to wait again. And she could help him heal, that was what the Tardis wanted wasn't it?!

_'No! You mustn't! You have to wait!' _the Tardis cried in alarm but Donna ignored her.

'Well I'm staying as a single girl for starters. Other than that, I don't really know' Donna shrugged.

'Well, you could always... come with me' the Doctor offered tentatively.

'Oh… ye…' she managed to get out before something very strange happened. Everything around the edge of her vision dulled slightly and she suddenly felt very heavy.

'No… I'm sorry' she heard herself say. WHAT?! That wasn't what she had wanted to say… oh no! No! No! No! No! NO!

**'Don't you dare! You bloody spaceship! Don't you bloody DARE!**' Donna mentally screamed at the Tardis, figuring out what was happening.

'I just can't' Donna heard herself saying.

_'I'm sorry! I'm so sorry but you mustn't go with him now!'_ the Tardis was saying in a pleading voice.

**'You can't do this to me!'** Donna yelled back in rage. She understood what was happening now. The Tardis had woke her past consciousness up, and made her present one go to sleep! It was her past self that was refusing; the Tardis was practically forcing the words into her mouth!

**'Wake me up right now!' **Donna ordered but the Tardis wouldn't do it.

**'NO! DOCTOR!'** Donna called out as she observed him as if he were down a tunnel, a very long way away from her.

'Okay' the Doctor was saying, trying to hide the sting of rejection.

**'No! Doctor! I do want to go with you!'** Donna shouted but obviously he couldn't hear her from within her own mind.

'I can't…' she heard herself saying.

'No, that's fine' the Doctor replied. It must certainly was NOT fine! Donna was practically stamping her mental foot in rage as she heard her own mouth giving him the reasons as to why she wouldn't go.

'No, but really... everything we did today... do you live your life like that?' she heard her past, unaware self, asking.

'Not all the time' the Doctor lied.

'I think you do. And I couldn't' her past consciousness replied.

**'Yes I could! And I want to! Wake me up! This isn't fair!'** Donna shouted to the Tardis.

_'I'm sorry'_ was the Tardis' reply.

'But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful' the Doctor was trying to entice her physical form.

**'I know it is! And I really do want to see it! Please Doctor! HEAR ME!'** Donna yelled back. Obviously the Doctor didn't hear a word she was screaming in her own head.

'And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you were stood there like... I don't know... a stranger. And then you made it snow - I mean, you scare me to death!' her past self was telling him.

'Well then' the Doctor finally said after a moment's silence.

**'No! Not 'well then', you can't just leave me here!'** Donna called but it fell on deaf ears.

'Would you like Christmas dinner though… or is it too soon after Rose?' her past self asked gently and Donna stopped in her mental shouting, all too interested in his answer to that question.

'I… yeah it is. I… no, but thanks for the offer' the Doctor said. Donna began panicking now. He was really going to leave her there! And she couldn't even stop it!

'Thank you, for everything today' her past self said to him.

'Thank you too, good luck, and just… be magnificent' the Doctor smiled warmly at her.

'I think I will, yeah' her past self said. The Doctor smiled at her and began retreating back into the TARDIS.

**'No! No! Please Doctor! Wait!' **Donna yelled but there really was no point.

'And Doctor. Don't give up hope, maybe one day Rose will come back' her past self told him.

'It's impossible' the Doctor shook his head.

'But you can hope' her past self argued.

'Yeah… I suppose I can' the Doctor said softly.

**'Doctor! Please…'** Donna said, a mental tear rolling down her mental cheek.

'Goodbye Doctor' her past self said.

'Bye Donna' the Doctor smiled sadly at her, stepping back into the Tardis and closing the door behind him.

**'No! Please Doctor! Don't leave me behind!'** Donna pleaded.

The Tardis shot up into the night sky like a rocket.

_'I'm so sorry'_ Donna heard the Tardis whisper in her mind before the bond faded slightly, as her present self woke up and her past self went back to sleep.

Donna stumbled forwards at her true self was returned to the driver's seat, tears shining in her eyes. There was nothing she could do now, nothing at all. Stuck on Earth again, and it wasn't fair!

Now there was only one thing to do. Donna Noble had to wait… and she had never been the most patient person to begin with.

Oh she was gonna smash the Tardis' console to bits for doing this to her!

Fuming more than her hair, Donna stamped all the way to her house, angrier with her life than she had been in a very long time.

**...**

**Ooooh! Who knew the Tardis could be such a bitch?! : ) So yeah, I'm not doing a season three with Donna, I've already written a story where a character is in a previous season (See my 'Touch of an Angel' story if you're interested). So I hope you liked that little twist with the Tardis there. Also, the reason I didn't save Lance was because Donna needs to see right from the start just how hard and dangerous her mission is going to be. She's really going to have her work cut out for her : ) Plus, not every adventure can be changed in a major way, but don't fear, most will have at least some significant difference to the real episode, just not this one : )**

**Anyway, thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this one. Also, if anyone is a Harry Potter fan, I'd really appreciate it if you'll take a look at my new story called 'Serpent's Heart'. Thank you all for reading and please remember to leave a review : ) The more I get the faster the next chapter will come : )**


	4. The Woman Who Waited

**Hello! Thank you to those who have been reading and reviewing this story : ) Now this chapter is a bit choppy, but I'm trying to cover a large amount of time in this one chapter so please excuse that. Please remember that Doctor Who is not mine and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**...**

**The Woman Who Waited**

The holiday season ended and Donna was forced to play the grieving fiancée. She hated it, but she knew she couldn't let anybody find out her secret. She was also furious at the Tardis for many days to come, how _dare_ that bitchy spaceship force her to fall asleep and make her past self refuse to go with the Doctor! It was so unfair! This was all happening _because_ of the Tardis, and now she was stuck on Earth _because_ of her.

January came around and by February, after much grovelling and many apologises on the Tardis' part, Donna had finally forgiven the sentient spaceship. She began to make plans for what was to come. She made up lists of things she wanted to change, tried to think of ways to do it, and thought about where she wanted to go this time. Places that they hadn't gone to last time. There was so much that she could achieve, and by the time the Doctor came back, she'd be ready to run faster than she ever had before.

She was also working hard on figuring out how to get the Doctor to open up to her. She started taking night classes to gain a qualification in Psychology. It had taught her an awful lot, and she was confident that after some more training, she'd be ready to get right to the heart of the Doctor's demons. Oh, it would probably take months to finally get him to open up to her completely, but she'd do it if it was the last thing she did. But that wasn't the only reason she had taken the subject. She had also taken it because it would teach her the typical react to certain situations, and therefore it would help her act more like the Doctor would be expecting her too, which would hopefully keep him from getting suspicious.

Her mother had been stunned by her decision to get more qualifications. She was proud though, and she told Donna as much. Of course, they still bickered like cats and dogs, and it hadn't changed their relationship very much, but Donna didn't mind. She was doing it for the Doctor after all, not her mother.

…

One sunny morning Donna was stood by her kitchen sink, just doing some washing up whilst her mother ranted at her in the background, watching the television. She had decided that she needed a break from thinking about the Doctor or else she was going to go completely mad.

For weeks she had been planning things, how to make things go different, how to change her own fate and the fate of the Doctor's. And it was literally doing her head in. She didn't like the fact that he was off god knows where whilst she was stuck on Earth. But one day he'd be back, and then she would be free forever. Unless of course she failed, but she had no plans of doing that.

Suddenly, her morning program was replaced by an urgent news broadcast and Donna's mouth dropped open as her hands threatened to drop the plate she was holding. She dropped the china back into the sink and darted over the television, turning up the volume and listening intently, hushing her mother in the process.

'It sounds impossible, but the entire hospital has vanished' the reporter, a young woman, was saying to the camera. Donna's eyes widened. She knew what this meant.

'The Royal Hope no longer exists. It's not been destroyed - there's no wreckage. It's simply gone. Reports from bystanders say that the rain lifted up around the hospital…' here Donna tuned the woman out, along with her mother's musing about the affair.

This was it. The Royal Hope hospital was gone. This was the day the Doctor met Martha Jones. She looked up at the ceiling, not really seeing it but thinking about the sky beyond. Right now the Doctor was up there on the moon. It hadn't been very long from him, the gap between the Christmas with her and meeting Martha.

She let out a small happy sigh. At least now he wasn't going to be alone. But the Tardis had said that Martha hadn't helped him in the way that she would. The Tardis! It was all alone right now! She could go and talk with it!

Ever since the Doctor had left her, the Tardis had been quiet. Donna had tried to communicate with her, but the further away the blue box was, the harder it got. And sometimes, when the box was in a different time zone, Donna would get a small headache. It was like, unless they were in the same time and place, the connection between Donna and the Tardis just… faded slightly. It never went completely, but it made communications harder.

'I'm going out for a bit' Donna announced and her mother span around to face her.

'But what about the washing up?!' she protested and Donna rolled her eyes.

'I'll do it later' she hissed. As much as she had wanted to try and get on with her mother better, her mother wasn't exactly easy to please, but Donna was determined to try. But right now, all she wanted to do was go visit the Tardis. This could be her only chance to see the old girl for the next year or so after all!

…

But sadly, fate had intervened, just as it always seemed to do. The city was completely gridlocked, and Donna couldn't get through the traffic in time.

By the time she turned the corner into the road where the Royal Hope Hospital stood, having been transported back from the moon, Donna just caught a glimpse of the outline of the Tardis fading away. Damn it, if there was one thing Donna had grown to hate, it was a missed opportunity. But since she was here, she might as well try to talk to the Tardis in her mind, whilst the box was still close enough to do it anyway.

She began calling out in her mind to the Tardis, who seemed to be happy to hear from her but the box was also worried and annoyed that the Doctor had got separated from her again. But the words grew faint and Donna knew that the Tardis was now in the vortex, so with a great sigh, Donna returned to her flat. Next time, she would be ready.

…

Donna saved up some cash and went on a two week holiday to Italy. She went to Egypt the last time but she'd already seen the pyramids and the Sphinx. This time she went to experience the pizza and the ice cream and the pasta and the leaning Tower of Pisa.

She loved it but it was nothing like her travels with the Doctor. She was glad that one day, he'll return and she'll by back up there amongst the stars. Donna Noble, citizen of the earth, travelling through time and space. Just as she was meant to be.

…

'And tonight, I'm going to change what it means to be human'

Donna was sat watching the news, an old man called Professor Richard Lazarus was giving a speech about some machine he had invented. A pretty young dark woman hovered by his side in the background who seemed vaguely familiar to Donna but she couldn't think where from.

She was just getting herself and her grandfather a thermos of tea when she felt the Tardis again.

**'Hello! How've you been?!'** Donna asked excitedly.

_'Not. Good! This Muppet keeps losing me!'_ was the grumpy reply she got, causing Donna to mentally laugh.

_'It's not funny!'_ The Tardis hummed angrily.

**'Yes it is'** Donna told her whilst laughing loudly before turning serious.

**'How is he, really?' **she asked in concern.

_'He's… coping. He's distracting himself with this Martha girl he's picked up, but she's too busy swooning over him, and she just doesn't get him like the Wolf Girl or you do. But she's good enough anyway, and I think she'll go onto save us all one day'_ the Tardis explained.

And for the next few hours, the Tardis caught her up on everything that the Doctor had been doing, whilst she told the Tardis of her time on Earth. Naturally the box was sympathetic when Donna told her how hard it was adjusting to life on Earth again, and how she couldn't wait to get back.

But naturally, there was only so long before the Doctor was back in the box, and suddenly the Tardis shouted a goodbye before she was gone. Donna sighed sadly. She really couldn't wait to get back to the action.

…

She got a job at Health and Safety. She could only hack it two days but she obtained exactly what she needed. She tricked her boss and nicked her ID card before she left. Last time she had been using a fake, this time she'd have the real thing. It could help her one day, and she'd need it for when she arrived at Adipose Industries.

Her mother was furious, but Donna didn't care. Her attempts to change their relationship had long since failed but it didn't matter. All Donna needed to do was find the Doctor again and then she'd be free forever. No job, no rent, no tax, no bills, just the open sky, anything and everything would be at her fingertips. And she'd have her best friend by her side. That was all she needed to be happy, and if her mother couldn't see that, that was her loss.

…

Donna had been hearing of disappearances around a place called Wester Drumlin's, and had seen a news report about a missing Police Inspector, some guy called Billy Shipton. The Tardis had called out in her mind telling Donna that the Doctor and Martha were stuck in 1969. Donna had offered to keep the Tardis company, but the box had warned her against it, lest she get send back and stuck too.

But soon enough the box was gone, sent back to 1969 by a lovely young woman called Sally Sparrow, according to the Tardis anyway, and when Donna couldn't hear her anymore, she assumed that everything had worked out alright in the end. The Doctor was off again.

…

Her father fell ill and Donna was beside herself. She had watched this once before and she knew that her father wouldn't pull through. She had already made her peace with it but to see it happening all over again right before her eyes, it was heart-breaking.

She cried as the weeks passed and he got progressively worse. He's was getting so weak, and Donna wanted the Doctor more than ever. She didn't know how to handle this! She didn't know if she had the strength to see this twice!

She sat in the hospital at his bedside and wept as Geoffrey Noble slowly passed away. She whispered that she loves him as the white sheet is pulled over his blank face.

She put on a black dress and watched as his body is committed to the ground. She cried into a handkerchief but promises to go on, to live her life and make him so proud of her.

She promised him and herself that she would always do what is right. She promised him that she will save the Doctor.

…

More time had passed and Donna knew it was every nearly time for her to find the Doctor again when the moon began to move towards the Earth.

She had seen the picture of Luke Smith on the news, and had recognised him as Sarah Jane Smith's son from when she had seen him on the Subwave Network.

She hid in her bedroom as the moon got closer and closer. The noise of the wind made her afraid, and she couldn't help but worry about her mother and granddad. Neither of them were with her right now. She was all alone.

She knew that somehow Sarah Jane would fix this, but Donna hated the fact that there was nothing she could do to help.

She had called out to the Tardis in her mind, over and over again, but the box was too far away, not only in space but also in time, Donna's message couldn't get through!

But by the end of that night, the moon had been sent back to its original position and the crisis has passed.

Whilst in the first timeline, Donna had obviously been afraid, but this time she was greatly unsettled about the whole affair. The moon moving just reminded her too much of how one day the Earth itself would be moved, and that day may just be the last day of her life with the Doctor. But that was why she was doing this, so her resolve to stay strong only got stronger. She _would_ avoid it! She was NOT going to die, prophecy be damned.

The whole world had suffered due to the gravitational effects and freak weather was not uncommon in the next few days.

Donna was just glad that everything had ended well. Her wait was getting shorter.

…

After the incident of the moon, Donna decided to get into Star-gazing like her granddad. Soon enough she knew the names of all the local constellations. She also restarted her investigations in the paranormal. She heard rumours of Sea Monsters and Robots and UFOs and Crop Circles. She knew none of them will lead her to the Doctor, but she knows that for the time being, it's as close as she's going to get to her old life. It feels nothing like it, investigating alone. No wonder the Doctor needs a hand to hold.

…

The year was nearing its end with just a few weeks left when there came on urgent news report. Donna was starting to get used to it. Weird things had been happening, such as Knights on horseback appearing in London and shooting at the police, or UFOs appearing over the Taj Mahal in India. All around the world bizarre events were occurring and nobody seemed to know what was causing it. So this latest news update wasn't exactly surprizing. It was however VERY troubling.

A gigantic monster had appeared in Cardiff and its shadow had absorbed the life from anything it fell upon. Thousand were dead before the creature had suddenly vanished again. Donna smirked slightly, she was pretty sure that that would be the work on one very hansom Captain Jack Harkness. The report told her that Cardiff was recovering but that it would be weeks before all the bodies were cleared up.

Just as the report was finishing, the Tardis flared up in her mind again. Donna grinned and was about to start a conversation, when suddenly the Tardis left again, now very distressed. Donna tried to send a message through, but the box was getting further and further, she'd never been so far away ever before. Donna sighed. There was nothing she could do now. She'd just have to… keep on waiting.

God what was her name? The Woman who waited?

…

Election Day came around and without a peep from the Tardis, Donna voted for Harold Saxon. Everyone said he was gonna change the world. Donna wasn't sure, she knew there was something funny about him but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. There were just things about his story which bugged her, but she felt like he was trustworthy, despite having no idea why.

It was two days after Saxon won the vote and Donna was walking down the street, her arms full of shopping bags, having stopped by the local supermarket. She was just taking the key out of her pocket when sudden she felt like screaming in pain.

She threw back her head and let out a muffled sob. It felt like her whole head was being ripped wide open. She forced her hand to put the key in the lock and she stumbled inside, clutching at her head and moaning in pain. It was like her entire brain was on fire, like something was prising her mind apart.

And then she realised what the problem was. She could hear it. The Tardis, the Tardis was screaming at the back of her mind.

_'DOCTOR! DONNA! HELP ME! DONNA! HELP ME! PLEASE! DOCTOR!'_ the Tardis was screaming over and over again. A barrage of images hit her mind and flashed before Donna's eyes and she fell to the ground as the Tardis' pain, and therefore her own, got much worse. God this hurt more than the bloody Metacrisis!

Donna saw things. Things that weren't real. Things that never happened.

_*A gaping rift appearing as the sky was torn apart. _

_*Billions of metal spheres descending on the earth to slaughter the human race. _

_*The earth in ruins, and the human race enslaved and forced to build rockets._

_*Trapped in a nightmare world for months by an insane dictator calling himself 'The Master'._

_*Hearing whispers of a woman called Martha Jones._

_*Herself, ten months since the Master came to power, dying and bleeding in the street after screaming in rage and throwing a brick at one of the spheres which shot her down._

And then… it was all gone. The images were gone, and so was the agony gripping at her mind. The Tardis had stopped screaming, and Donna had never felt so free in her entire life. She felt like a cool refreshing breath was flowing through her body, making her feel all tingly and fuzzy and safe.

She let out a small laugh as she pulled herself to her feet, weak, but safe, and no longer in pain.

It wasn't long now, the wait was getting shorter. She was almost going home.

…

Her studies of Psychology paid off, and Donna was awarded an A-level in the subject. Her mother and granddad were so proud of her, and Donna was too. She knew how and when to push subjects now. She had had natural talent in the area before, but now she could apply it so much better. And she couldn't help to start helping the Doctor, despite the fight she knew he'd put up over it.

…

Christmas Day! It had been one whole year. One whole year of being trapped on Earth, but this time Donna was loving the holiday season. For her, it meant only one thing. It was only a matter of weeks now until she'd finally have her change everything. Her clothes were all packed and in the boot of the car, much to her mother's annoyance.

Sadly not much had changed between them, both women were so bloody stubborn but Donna wasn't too disappointed. Whilst they may have a lot of issues, she knew that they loved each other and that was all that was important.

Donna, her mum, and grandfather had all enjoyed a wonderful day, everyone trying to make the first Christmas without her father extra special because the loss was extra defined. Donna smirked as news of the Titanic falling towards Buckingham Palace before turning back into the sky came flooding across the television.

'Nice one Space Man' Donna whispered to herself as she watched the live images of the Titanic heading back into space. She was almost there! Soon she'd be back. Soon, everything could be put right. Soon she would be home.

…

The New Year had rolled around and Donna knew this was going to be her very best year ever. And if she managed to pull it all off, she knew she'd have many more to come. She was sitting at her computer, surfing the net, when she spotted the add. Adipose Industries' weight loss pills.

She beamed in delight. She felt the Tardis land and felt a hum of excitement in her mind, and without a second thought, Donna ran up the stairs and got changed as fast as she could. She had a rather dazzling skinny boy in a suit to go meet after all.

And it was about time too!

**...**

**And that's that. So, first of all, about the bond Donna and the Tardis have. It's always there, but the further they are away from each other, the harder it is to comminucate. And secondly, I know this chapter is quite brief, but I really wanted to get this all done in just one chapter and move onto the more interesting stuff in the next. I will be talking more about the stuff Donna got up during the year on earth at a later date though, so you'll get more details then : ) Anway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review : )**


	5. Partners in Crime, Reunited at Last

**Hello! Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter : ) And at last, the true story can begin! Ok, before we start I'd like to just say, this story will NOT be an everybody lives story. I HATE those stories but with something like this, some deaths must be averted, especially since Donna will be trying so hard to help. But not everyone can be saved and that's what I'm aiming for. Other than that, please remember that Doctor Who isn't mine, and I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

**...**

**Partners in Crime**

**Partners in Crime – Reunited at Last**

Donna practically threw herself into a smart black suit as she dashed about her bedroom, throwing all her essentials into her large handbag. She knew that this time tomorrow, she'd be free forever… provided she avoided the Metacrisis. But that was ages away; she'd have plenty of time to work out a way to prevent that. She just hoped she could pull it off. She only had one chance at this rewriting time trick. It really was literally all or nothing.

'See ya later!' Donna cried cheerfully to her mother as she darted down the stairs of her house, and grabbing a large red ring-binder folder of the hall table she had used in the previous timeline to jot down anything odd she saw, Donna ran out of the house, so, SO excited that today was finally happening.

As she got into her car, Donna gave herself a little pinch, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She was thrilled to find that she wasn't. It really was happening! She was really going to find the Doctor all over again!

Driving through the streets much faster than was necessary, Donna pulled up in a car park just off the high street she needed to be in. Walking down the crowded street; Donna looked up at the gleaming skyscraper that was Adipose Industries. She grinned broadly as she made to go inside. But before she reached the door, she glanced around at the people walking past her, her eyes searching for a long brown coat or a head of crazy hair. Sadly, she saw none, but she knew she'd find him soon enough. And it was about time too!

Heading inside, Donna held up her stolen Health and Safety ID card.

'Donna Noble, Health and Safety' she greeted the security guard with a broad smile. She held out her ID and he took the card off her and examined it closely. He nodded at her and gave her card back to her.

Grinning that she hadn't needed to pull the same 'Too-Fast-Card' trick again, Donna looked around at the lively office, wondering if the Doctor was already here. She looked around for him again, but couldn't see him anywhere.

Trying not to sigh in disappointment, Donna quickly began wandering around. She knew that Miss Foster was due to be giving a speech in the function room any minute now, but Donna had already attended it once, and she hadn't learnt anything important the first time. So this time, she had other plans, plans which could only be taken whilst she was sure that Miss Foster would be out of her hair.

Discreetly making her way up to the top floor, Donna cautiously poked her head around a corner. When she was met with an empty corridor, she quickly scuttled over to Miss Foster's office. She smiled fondly as she peered through the round window. The last time she had looked through that window (In her perspective at least) was when she had finally found the Doctor again. Sadly he was not in a Window-Cleaner's buggy outside the window this time, but that didn't matter. She'd find him soon enough anyway.

Quickly checking the coast was clear once again, Donna tried the door. It was locked. Donna smirked as she reached into her handbag and pulled out a hairpin. She had no idea why she hadn't thought of learning this little trick in the original timeline. It might have helped her out of a LOT of tricky situations. So over the past year, Donna had taught herself quite a few little tricks that would help her out, and picking locks was one of them. She twisted the hairpin in the lock and after a few attempts, the lock clicked open.

Smiling happily, Donna returned the hairpin to her bag and looked around the office. Being the amazing super-temp that she was, Donna's eyes immediately fell on Miss Foster's desk and rushing over to it, she quickly began searching through the draws. When she pulled out the final one, several large black folders fell out, and Donna hurried to pick them up.

Flicking through them, Donna's eyes widened. They were documents about the process of creating the Adipose babies! There was even a chart showing how many Babies had been born. As her eyes widened at the information before her, Donna quickly grabbed one of Miss Foster's pens and began copying down the information in short hand. She could write it up fully that night before going to see her Grandfather.

Suddenly she jumped when she heard a rattling noise. Frowning, Donna headed over to a cabinet in the corner where the noise had come from and she opened its doors. She yelped and jumped back. In a small glass box inside the cabinet was an Adipose baby. It looked at her and waved up at her.

'Hello' Donna whispered, waving back at the tiny creature. She quickly took out her phone and crouched down near to the box. The Adipose looked at her curiously before she took a photo of it on her phone. The flash caused the baby Adipose to sway on the spot and gurgle in discontent. For a moment Donna was worried that she had caused it pain, but it soon looked ok again. Sighing, she shut the doors again and headed back to the desk and began jotting down the information in short hand again.

When she finished a few minutes later, Donna quickly put the files back and put her copies in her old ring-binder. She was about to leave the office when she heard voices coming from the hall outside.

'They can be quite gullible… human beings, but they really are wonderful for producing the offspring. That Carter woman might be a threat though, so keep an eye out for her' Donna heard the silky voice of Miss Foster approaching.

Gasping in horror, Donna looked around for a place to hide. Her gaze locked on the desk and diving under it, Donna barely managed to hide herself beneath it before Miss Foster, flanked by her two bodyguards, entered the room.

'Did one of you leave the door unlocked?' Miss Foster asked suspiciously and Donna paled. She hadn't thought about the door!

'No' both her bodyguards said together.

'Hum… it must have been me then' Miss Foster said but Donna could tell that she didn't believe that.

'I don't want a lynch mob coming after us. We still have a few weeks left though before we go into labour, and then we're going home' Miss Foster stated. Donna drew her legs in close to her chest as Miss Foster's feet appeared next to her as the woman sat down at her desk.

'And the workers?' one of the bodyguards asked.

'When the time comes we'll be able to force feed them the pills too, and they'll become part of the next generation' Miss Foster told him.

'But I thought you said the figures were lacking?' the other bodyguard questioned and Donna heard Miss Foster sigh.

'They are. In fact, thank you for reminding me. I really need to go get their fat lazy rear ends into top gear' Miss Foster said, standing up again and Donna heard the sound of heels clicking away as Miss Foster and the two guards left the office again. This time Miss Foster locked the door behind her.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Donna quickly ran across the room and used her hairpin to pick the lock again. This time she checked that she had locked the door behind her. She'd have to be more careful in the future! That had been far too close!

…

Sprinting down the stairs, Donna made it into the call centre just in time to see Miss Foster enter from the other staircase. Donna quickly hid herself behind a large pot plant, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention.

'Excuse me, everyone, if I could have your attention' the boss called and all the workers in the room stood up. Donna blinked slightly. She was SURE that for a split second she had seen a flash of brown spiky hair pop up over the walls of one of the booths. But looking again, she couldn't see anything… could it be? It might have been!

'On average, you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day. It's not enough. I want one hundred sales per person per day. And if not, you'll be replaced. Cos if anyone is good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now. Back to it' she said with a smooth but cold smile, before she turned on her heel and left again. Donna let out a sigh, before she headed to one of the booths. It was the same guy that she had met last time.

She looked at the name badge which was pinned to the front of his suit. Craig it said. Slipping into his booth, Donna sat down next to Craig who was on the phone. He looked at her confusedly but was too busy talking to a customer on the phone to speak to her.

'That's a three-week course of pills for a special price of 45 pounds' he said, still looking at Donna in bewilderment.

'Donna Noble, Health and Safety. Don't mind me' she whispered and he nodded in understanding. Donna patiently waited until he had finished his call and when he did, Craig turned to her and looked at her expectantly.

'Hi. I was just wondering if you could run me through what Adipose Industries gives away to its clients as part of its deal. Just to be sure there's nothing dangerous being given out to the public. If you could…' Donna gestured for him to give her the pitch and Craig nodded in understanding.

'The box comes with 21 days' worth of pills, a full information pack, and our special free gift, an Adipose Industries pendant' he said, opening his desk draw and pulling out a small golden charm on a long chain. 'Adipose Industries' was inscribed on the golden charm which Craig handed to Donna.

'It is made of 18 carat gold, and it's the customers for free' he added. Donna nodded as she pocketed the pendant. She'd need it for the Doctor later.

'I'll need the pendant to run some tests on it. And I'd also like a list of your customers if you'd be so kind' Donna requested and Craig nodded.

'Suppose so' he agreed and began typing on his keyboard.

'Does the printer need a code?' Donna asked. She knew where it was this time, having been standing next to the plant by it when Miss Foster had been in the room.

'No, I can do it from here' Craig said, clicking on his computer mouse.

'And it's got paper?' Donna asked and Craig nodded.

'Right, well that's lovely. Thank you very much Craig, I'll let you get on with your work' Donna smiled at him and Craig returned it before she strode over to the printer and collected the list. With everything she needed for now, Donna quickly left the building, her destination already in mind.

She was headed to Stacy Campbell's house. In the original timeline, Donna had been there and had been unable to do anything to stop her death, but this time, she'd be watching her like a hawk. This time, she'd save her.

Stacy Campbell was going to live this time. Donna was going to make sure of it.

…

Night had fallen as Donna parked her car outside a charming little house with a tiny front garden. Rushing up to the front door, Donna slowly knocked on it, and a few moments later a rather fat woman dressed in a lovely purple outfit answered, looking at Donna curiously.

Donna's eyes widened slightly. It really was her! It was Stacy, alive and well, about to dump her boyfriend. Even after a year, Donna still found it weird to see the people who had died alive. Even her own father, but she counted that as a blessing. She had at least managed to get a little more time with him, and even if that meant losing him all over again she wouldn't have missed that chance for the world.

'Stacy Campbell?' Donna forced herself to ask, just before Stacy opened her mouth to ask who she was.

'Who wants to know?' Stacy wondered in a bright cheerful voice.

'My name's Donna Noble, I'm from the Health and Safety department' Donna lied but showed Stacy her stolen ID to make herself appear genuine.

'I'm currently looking into Adipose Industries and your name is down as being one of their customers. I was hoping I could have some of your time to ask you a few questions?' Donna asked and Stacy nodded.

'Oh, sure! Come on in' she smiled cheerfully, stepping aside to allow Donna entry to her home.

'Thanks' Donna nodded at her as she stepped into the hall.

'The living room is through here, take a seat' Stacy smiled at her, leading Donna into her cosy little living room. Donna gracefully sat down in a chair and began speaking.

'So, Adipose. How are you finding their treatment… and how long have you been on it?' Donna asked, trying her best to sound as professional as possible.

'It's been fantastic. I've started the pills on Thursday. Five days later, I've lost eleven pounds!' Stacy proudly gestured at her figure. Donna quickly opened her ring-binder and jotted that down. The Doctor might need that information later. And the more information she could give him, the better.

'And there haven't been any side effects or anything?' Donna asked.

'No, I feel fantastic. It's a new lease of life. Now, what d'you think of these earrings, do they work?' Stacy asked, holding up a pair of dangly purple earrings by her ears. Donna smiled. Stacy obviously liked purple very much.

'Yeah, they look lovely' she nodded and Stacy smiled happily.

'Thanks. I really want to look perfect tonight' Stacy told her.

'You off out on a date?' Donna asked.

'I'm doing the opposite. I'm dumping him. I can do better than him now' Stacy laughed and Donna joined in.

'That's right, never go any lower than you can get' Donna grinned and Stacy laughed loudly.

'Right, I won't be long. If the taxi beeps, give me a shout' Stacy said, rushing out of the room and Donna could hear her heading upstairs. As soon as she was gone, Donna leapt to her feet and began pacing around. In her mind she was desperately trying to go over everything that had happened in the original timeline.

What had caused Stacy to die?

She had been reduced into the Adipose… but why? She had been singled out for a reason, but what was it?

Donna struggled to remember the details. But suddenly the memories were crystal clear in her head and Donna knew why. It was the Tardis. She had helped push them to the front of Donna's mind.

**'Thank you'** she mentally whispered to the ship which was probably still down on Earth somewhere.

_'Good luck'_ was the reply she got. And Donna knew she meant about saving Stacy. Donna quickly re-examined her old memories.

She had been bored, waiting for Stacy to return to the living room. She had taken the Adipose Pendant out of her pocket. As she thought about this, Donna took the pendant out of her pocket.

She had noticed that she could twist it around. And then the screaming had started. Donna's eyes widened. Could it be that by twisting the pendant, SHE had caused Stacy to die. She quickly asked the Tardis this.

_'The Foster Mother knew about a raw pendant, she killed the person closest to the pendant that was taking the pills'_ the Tardis told her.

**'So all I have to do is not twist the pendant?'** Donna asked and she felt an affirmative hum in the back of her mind. Donna quickly put the pendant back in her pocket. She wandered out into the hall.

'Stacy, are you alright up there? Donna called up the stairs.

'Yeah, I'm fine. I won't be long, I'm just putting up my lippie' Stacy's voice called back. Donna grinned in delight. Stacy didn't sound distressed at all. She went back into the living room and crossed her fingers hopefully.

Her smile broadened when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and she sat back down before Stacy walked into the room, now sporting a lovely shade of red lipstick.

Donna beamed at the sight of her, but forced herself not to react oddly or else Stacy would probably think she was barking mad!

'Oh nice colour, you'll definitely have your soon-to-be-ex wishing he could kiss you' Donna told her and Stacy laughed happily. Suddenly a car honk beeped outside the house.

'Oh, that's me taxi. Is that everything?' Stacy asked her and Donna grinned at her as she stood up to leave.

'Yeah that's everything I need. Thank you very much Stacy for taking the time to talk to me, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your use of the Adipose Industries product. Oh, and have a nice time dumping that guy' Donna smiled as Stacy showed her out of the house.

'Oh believe me, I will' Stacy chortled as she locked up before she headed towards the Taxi waiting at the road. She got into the backseat and Donna watched with the brightest smile on her face as Stacy was driven away. As soon as the taxi rounded a corner, Donna began jumping up and down in delight, shouting her head off and cheering at the sky.

'YES! YES! YES! Oh, that was so brilliant, we really saved her!' Donna said out loud and the Tardis hummed in amusement.

_'If this is your reaction I hope we can save many more'_ the time/space ship told her, glad to feel Donna being so happy after a long year of waiting.

**'We can and we will. I can't believe we really did it! Now she can go dump that guy and maybe even meet someone else. Get married, have kids, grow old, she can do anything, and WE did that'** Donna was beaming her head off as she got into her car and began driving home. She knew there wouldn't be a van to chase on foot this time after all, seeing as there were no Adipose loose in the streets. Another positive.

This proved it. This really was her chance to do some good throughout time and space. Just because she was meant to be helping the Doctor didn't mean she couldn't save the others too. And if every death averted was as brilliant as this, well that was all the more reason to try even harder.

…

Donna's good mood lasted all the way home, but as soon as she stepped through her front door, it quickly evaporated when her mother's voice rang out.

'And what time is this?' Sylvia called from the kitchen. Donna rolled her eyes in annoyance. Over the past year she had tried, she honestly had, she had tried to patch up her relationship with her mother. But Sylvia just couldn't accept that Donna wanted to live her life her own way. In the end Donna had given up. She knew that somethings just refused to change, and her relationship with her mother was one of them.

'Am I still a teenager and hadn't realised?' Donna called back sarcastically. Sylvia stepped out into the hall, a disapproving look on her face.

'I am wondering, but even a teenager is old enough to use a phone' she said before slipping back into the kitchen. Donna scowled as she followed her.

'Sorry mum. I also crossed the street without telling you, I'm sorry' Donna told her and Sylvia glared at her reproachfully.

'Don't get smart' Sylvia told her as she bustled around the kitchen, cleaning everything in sight. She had been doing that a lot recently, Donna noted. She supposed that cleaning was just her mother's way of dealing with the death of her husband. It was a completely normal symptom for a grieving widow, Donna had learned that as part of her Psychology A level.

Sylvia placed a cup of tea before Donna, and then the ranting started.

'I thought you were only moving back for a couple of weeks. Look at you, I mean you're never gonna find a flat, not while you're on the dole. And it's no good sitting there, dressed up, looking like you're job hunting, you've got to do something! It's not like the 1980s, no one's unemployed these days except you! How long did that job with Health and Safety last? Two days, and then you walk out. 'I have other plans', well I've not seen them. And it's no good sitting there dreaming, no one's gonna come along with a magic wand and make your life all better' Sylvia ranted for nearly ten minutes. Donna blocked her out completely. She was too busy wondering what the Doctor was currently doing… that and wondering if Stacy had dumped her fellow yet.

'Granddad up the hill?' she eventually asked, if only to shut her mother up.

'Where else do you expect him to be' Sylvia rolled her eyes about that too. Donna paid her no mind. She just gathered up a thermos of tea before pulling on her coat and beginning the walk in the direction of her granddad's favour spot.

As she reached her Granddad's allotment on top of the hill, the man in question turned to her and smiled warmly at her.

'Aye, aye here comes trouble' he winked at her.

'Permission to board ship, sir?' she playfully saluted him.

'Permission granted. Was she nagging you?' Wilfred Mott asked, already sensing an affirmative answer coming his way.

'You bet she was, big time!' Donna laughed as Wilf sat back down on a camp chair by his telescope. Donna pulled out a blanket from the hut and sat down next to him on it, on her knees by his side.

'Brought you a thermos' she said, pouring him some tea into the lid which also acted as a cup.

'Oh, ta' Wilf thanked her, taking it off her and taking a sip.

'You seen anything?' Donna asked curiously. Since she had begun studying the constellations during her year of waiting, Donna was a lot more interested in her Granddad's favourite past time. They had been close before, but now they ended up spending even more time together, something Donna was only too happy about.

'Yeah, I've got Venus, there with an apparent magnitude of minus 3.5. At least that's what it says in my little book' Wilf said happily.

'Can I?' Donna gestured at the telescope.

'Yeah! Come and see, here you go' Wilf said, moving aside and letting Donna peered through the end of the telescope. She could clearly see a tiny blue sphere through it, Venus. She smiled slightly. Tomorrow, she'd be zooming off much further than Venus, that was for sure!

'Right? That's the only planet in the Solar System named after a woman' Wilf told her but Donna already knew that, not only from her studies but from him telling her in the previous timeline.

'Named after Venus, the Roman Goddess of Beauty and Love' Donna nodded and Wilf nodded in confirmation.

'That planet is about 26 million miles. But we'll get there one day. In a hundred years' time we'll be striding out amongst the stars. Jiggling about with all those aliens. Just you wait' Wilf let out a little laugh.

'It might even happen earlier for some of us' Donna smirked softly to herself but thankfully Wilf didn't hear her.

'If I wait here long enough... well, I might just get to see one' Wilf said wistfully.

'I don't suppose you've seen a little blue box?' Donna couldn't help but ask.

'Is that slang for something?' Wilf frowned at her and Donna let out a low chuckle.

'No, I mean it. A little blue box, flying up there in the sky, I can't wait to see it again' Donna smiled.

'You know, I don't understand half the things you say these days' Wilf told her, completely seriously.

'You will, one day' Donna assured him.

'You know, I hope you mean that. But you've had a funny old time of it lately. There was poor old what's his name, Lance, bless him... and that barmy old Christmas. I wish you would tell us what really happened' Wilf told her sadly.

'Trust me, Lance wasn't as innocent as everyone thinks he was' Donna told him with gritted teeth. Was she sad that he had died again? Yes she was. She honestly didn't want him dead, but she was so sick and tired of everyone in her family telling her it was a terrible loss. The guy had tried to sacrifice her to a web of alien spiders for god's sake!

'If you say so' Wilf just shook his head.

'I do say so. But the past isn't important now. I've got a whole new future to look forward to' Donna grinned brightly.

'Oh aye, how d'ya figure that then?' Wilf looked at her curiously.

**'**Everyone seems to think that I'm just drifting through the world without anything to aspire too. But they're wrong, because I'm not drifting. I'm waiting' Donna told him with a smile.

'What for?' her granddad tilted his head in confusion.

'The right man' Donna winked and Wilf laughed loudly.

'Oh,ho,ho same old story. A man! Haha' he chortled in amusement.

'Ha ha, no, I don't mean like that. But, he's real. I've met him. I know him, and he's the most remarkable person I've ever met. But he's lonely, and he just needs a friend, and that's me. I just need to find him again' Donna explained.

'But if you know him so well, how can you not know where he is?' Wilf asked her, not really following.

'He sort of just travels about. And when he comes back, I'm going to go with him' Donna said.

'Go where?' Wilf asked curiously.

'Wherever the winds take us!' Donna cheered and Wilf smiled at seeing her so happy. He had been worried about her this past year. She had seemed so down for most of it, but at last she seemed to be perking up again.

'Well, if that's what you want to do love, I say go for it' he told her with a wink.

'I plan to, I just need to track him down again, but I think I'm close. In fact, any day now I'm sure I'll run into him again' Donna said with a secretive knowing smile.

**'**That's my girl, never giving up! You know, I remember when you were about six years old, your mother said 'no holiday this year'. So off you toddled, all on your own and you got on a bus, to Strathclyde! Hah! We had the police after you and everything! Ha, and look at you now, still that determined girl eh?' Wilf smiled at her fondly.

'You're right, I am. Cos he's still out there, somewhere. And I'll get back to him Gramps, he needs a hand to hold more than ever, and I'll do it, I'll find my best friend again, even if I have to wait a hundred years. I'll find him' Donna smiled. And she would wait all that time if she really had too. But she was very glad she only had to wait one more day instead. After all, she had had enough struggles coping with just one year, never mind a hundred!

…

Donna walked out of her house early the next morning, hoping to make a quick exit, but she hadn't even reached the car when Sylvia appeared in the doorway, in a fluffy dressing-gown and hair curlers.

'It's my turn for the car! What you need it for?!' she demanded in a whiny tone. Donna sighed.

'Look, I need the car this one day, you can have one of my days next week if it means that much to you' Donna huffed before she got into the driver's seat and steered the car away.

She didn't stop until she was back at Adipose Industries, and when she walked through the call centre, she merrily waved at Craig who nodded at her.

Hiding in the same toilet as last time, Donna prepared for a long day of waiting. It felt like that was all she did lately, wait. But in a few hours, she'd be back where she belonged. Donna Noble, citizen of the earth, travelling the universe with her spaceman. Exactly as she should be.

…

By the time the clock got around to 6:10pm, Donna was ten chapters into her book which she had brought with her when she heard footsteps approaching the ladies toilets. She quickly shoved her book back into her bag. Thankfully her phone was switched off this time so her mother wouldn't be interrupting. Donna tensed as she heard the toilet doors open.

'We know you're in here, so why don't you make this nice and easy and show yourself?' Miss Foster called. Thankfully this time Donna knew she wasn't talking to her but she still pulled her legs up onto the seat to avoid being seen anyway.

'I'm waiting. I warn you, I'm not a patient woman. Now, out you come' Miss Foster insisted. There was no reply.

'Right. We'll do it the hard way. Get her!' she ordered and Donna heard the loud thumping of the cubical doors being kicked open.

And then, just like they had last time, the bodyguards found that reporter before they reached Donna's cubical. Donna frowned, trying to remember the woman's name. Polly?... No! Penny! That was it, Penny Carter!

'There you are' Miss Foster's voice said happily.

'I've been through the records, Foster, and all of your results have been faked. There's something about those pills you're not telling us' Donna heard Penny said in an accusing voice.

'Oh, I think I'll be conducting this interview, Penny' Miss Foster said smugly before Donna heard them walking away out of the toilets, Penny now with them. Donna waited a few seconds before following them, being cautious to avoid being seen as she crept up to Miss Foster's office again.

'You've got no right to do this. Let me go!' Donna heard Penny protesting as she carefully looked through the window of Miss Foster's office.

'This is ridiculous' she saw Penny shaking her head.

'Sit there' Miss Foster commanded.

'I'm phoning my editor' Penny stated firmly.

'I said sit' Miss Foster insisted and one of her bodyguards roughly pushed Penny down to the chair before the other one began tying her too it.

'You can't tie me up! What sort of a country do you think this is?' Penny glared at Miss Foster.

'Oh, it's a beautifully fat country. And believe me; I've travelled a long way to find obesity on this scale' Miss Foster smirked.

'So come on then, Miss Foster, those pills. What are they?' Penny demanded to know. Donna could barely wait… any second now, her waiting would finally have paid off. She could hear the Tardis humming excitedly in her mind too.

'Well, you might just as well have a scoop, since you'll never see it printed. This is the spark of life' Miss Foster said, and Donna could see her holding up a pill in her hand.

'And what's that supposed to mean?' Penny demanded to know.

'Officially, the capsule attracts all the fat cells and flushes them away. Well, it certainly attracts them, that part's true. But it binds the fat together and galvanises it to form a body' Miss Foster began to explain. Donna shook her head. Why did bad guys always think they were so infallible that they could just tell you their plans and you could do nothing to stop it?

'Well, what d'you mean 'a body'?' Penny frowned.

'I am surprised you never asked about my name. I chose it well. Foster, as in foster mother. And these are my children' Miss Foster smiled as she reached into the cabinet Donna had looked inside the previous day before she pulled out the Adipose from its glass box.

'You're kidding me! What the hell is that?!' Penny gasped as Miss Foster gently placed the Adipose on the desk.

Donne grinned. Any second now…!

'Adipose. It's called an Adipose. Made out of living fat. Stripped from ordinary human...' Donna blocked out the rest of whatever Miss Foster was saying.

He was there… looking right at her, stunned. Her face split into a wide grin and she almost felt tears coming to her eyes. A whole year of waiting, and it was finally over. She was finally going home, oh it was just brilliant!

_'Donna?'_ the Doctor mouthed through the window.

_'DOCTOR!'_ Donna mouthed back in excitement.

_'But... what? Wha... What?!'_ the Doctor floundered in mime.

_'AT LAST! I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOU AGAIN!'_ Donna mimed back.

_'But... how?'_ the Doctor gaped silently.

_'I've been looking for you!'_ Donna 'told' him.

_'Why? Are you in trouble again?'_ the Doctor mouthed back.

_'No! I want to change my mind and come with you!'_ Donna told him with mouth actions and once again the Doctor looked stunned.

_'You want to… come with me?'_ the Doctor mouthed back and Donna nodded happily.

_'That's what I'm here for. I was looking for you, and I thought trouble equals you. I, came here, trouble, read about it, internet. And this place is weird! Pills! So I hid. Back there. Crept along. Heard this lot. Looked. Saw you! Cos they...'_ Donna trailed off, just as she had done last time.

In her excitement at finally seeing the face she had spent so many months missing once again, she had completely forgotten about the people inside the office. The same people who were no longer talking but looking at her and the Doctor. Oh crap!

'Are we interrupting you?' Miss Foster asked them sarcastically. Looking caught out, Donna looked back at the Doctor.

'Run!' he mouthed and Donna ran.

She ran faster than she ever had before. He was there! She was finally going back home! And that was just wizard!

She ran out onto the stairwell… right into the Doctor's waiting arms. She clung to him desperately, barely managing not to sob into his shoulder in happiness. Her waiting was finally over. Now she was free.

At last, the Doctor and Donna Noble were reunited. Never to part ways ever again.

**...**

**Aw! The waiting is finally over for Donna, yay! I'm actually surprized at how long this chapter is. I was worried this episode would be tiny due to all the Doctor's bits being cut out, but I'm happy with the length of this. Also, just wanting to clarify. The guy Donna talked to was NOT Craig Tyler. The guy actually is called Craig in the script and I just went with it, despite it being a huge coincidence that my OC is called Craig and also worked in an office before he met the Doctor. But this isn't come kind of crossover. Just wanted to clear that up. Anyway, I hope you liked the changes I've made and I'm glad that Stacy got the change to dump her boyfriend this time around : ) Please leave me a review so I can know if this style of change is good or bad, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter : )**


	6. Partners in Crime, Finally Back Home

**Hello! So, here's the next chapter. I haven't got a huge amount to say, just thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter, and please remember that Doctor Who is not mine.**

**Enjoy : )**

**Partners in Crime – Finally Back Home**

Donna clung to the Doctor for all she was worth, and the Doctor hugged her back with equal vigour.

'I don't believe it! It really is you! I've finally found you again! And you've even got the same suit! Oh Doctor it's so good to see you again!' Donna said in a jumble, too excited to even slow down enough to make sure he heard all of that. She was just… so _ecstatic_ that her waiting was finally over!

'Thanks Donna, It's great to see you too' the Doctor grinned down at her as they pulled away. Suddenly they heard a door banging open down below them, and peering over the banister, the Doctor and Donna saw that the guards were coming up towards them.

'Well come on then!' Donna cried, grabbing the Doctor's hand and pulling him along.

'Just like old times!' the Doctor cried happily as they began running up the stairs.

It wasn't long until they made it onto the roof, and the Doctor headed straight to the window-cleaner trolley, the sonic in hand. He was crouched by the controls, whilst Donna babbled on excitedly. It had been a whole year since she had last seen him! She just had so much she wanted to tell him.

'Cos I thought, how do I find the Doctor? And then I just thought, look for trouble and then he'll turn up! So I looked everywhere, you name it – The Royal Hope Hospital, The Moon Moving, That monster in Cardiff, Those Sphere things Harold Saxon brought to Earth. I looked, I found them all. Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet he's connected. Cos the thing is, Doctor, I believe it all now. You opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. And what was the whole thing with the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace last Christmas about, was that you?' she pretended to ask. She knew that now that she had found the Doctor again, she'd have to be more careful than ever not to let the secret out. And the Doctor was cleverer than anyone on Earth. If she didn't act the part, he was bound to figure it out and she couldn't let that happen, not yet at least.

'Yeah it was… but what was that about the bees disappearing?' the Doctor asked from his position by the cradle controls, which he was using the sonic to seal. Donna knew it was useless, considering Miss Foster had her own sonic device, but what could she do? She could hardly tell the Doctor that without telling him how she knew.

'I don't know. That's what it says on the internet. Bees are being sighted less and less. Nobody's sure what's causing it or where they've gone… but it's not like they could be leaving Earth now is it?' Donna let out a fake laugh. She felt the Tardis hum warningly at her from the back of her mind, telling her to stop before she went too far. Donna relented, she'd have plenty of time to drop hints later.

'It's rather unlikely… but possible' the Doctor frowned as if trying to remember something. Donna quickly pushed on.

'Well on the same site, there were all these conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries, I thought let's take a look. And here you are!' Donna beamed as the Doctor dashed up the ladder and hopped down into the trolley.

In the original timeline, Donna had hesitated. This time, she darted up the steps after him and jumped down next to him before he could even turn around.

'All aboard!' the Doctor cheered as he used the sonic to start their descent. Donna anxiously wrapped her hand around the railing of the trolley. She was NOT about to fall out again. That had been bloody terrifying the last time!

'And she can't pull us back up yeah?' Donna turned to the Doctor, still holding the side of the trolley.

'Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own, cos I've locked the controls with a sonic cage. I'm the only one who can control it. It's very unlikely she has her own sonic' the Doctor told her smugly but Donna just quirked an eyebrow at him.

'Really? Because she's growing aliens out of human beings, so isn't it likely she's not from Earth herself? And if she's not from Earth herself, then it's possible she's got her own sonic' Donna pointed out and the Doctor shrugged, admitting she had a point.

Almost on cue, the trolley began whirring out of control and the Doctor and Donna plummeted. Donna gasped slightly as the wind whipped past them, but seconds later the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver to bring them to a stop with a jolt.

Looking up, Donna saw Miss Foster peering over the edge of the roof, her sonic pen in hand. The Doctor meanwhile was using the sonic screwdriver to try and open the window they had stopped next to. Donna rolled her eyes. She knew it wouldn't work. But regardless, she stooped low and picked up a spanner lying in the bottom of the cradle.

'I can't get it open!' the Doctor growled in frustration.

'Get out the way!' Donna commanded, and turning, the Doctor ducked as she swung at the window with the spanner. She pounded on the window with it, and the Doctor tried to help by pushing against the glass with his elbow, but it just wouldn't break. Donna threw the spanner to the floor in frustration, and grabbing the side of the trolley, Donna looked up.

And there, just as predicted, was Miss Foster, using her sonic to cut through one of the cables.

'She's cutting the cable!' she cried in warning to the Doctor, just before it snapped. Donna wobbled on the spot as she managed to cling on, but she knocked into the Doctor, throwing him off balance. With a yelp of surprize, the Doctor dropped the sonic and rolled over the edge of the cradle.

Donna's eyes widened in horrified panic. That wasn't supposed to happen!

She looked over the edge, terrified that he had fallen.

'DOCTOR!' she yelled, looking down. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he had managed to grab onto the cable in time, just like _she_ had in the original timeline. She couldn't help but a smirk a little. My how the tables had turned…

'Donna!' the Doctor yelled, hanging on for dear life.

'Just… Hold on!' Donna yelled, grabbing the end of the cable still attached to the trolley and pulling with all her might. But despite being a skinny little twig, the Doctor was heavier than he looked, and Donna just couldn't pull him up.

'Hold on? What do you think I am doing?!' the Doctor yelled sarcastically and Donna rolled her eyes. Looking around for something to use, her eyes landed on the fallen sonic, and she quickly snatched it up. She had no idea how it could help though.

'DONNA LOOK UP!' the Doctor suddenly yelled and Donna's head snapped skywards.

Up above them, Miss Foster was using her sonic pen to cut through the other cable.

'What do I do?!' Donna yelled in panic. If they both fell now… Donna didn't want to think about it.

'Use the Sonic to hit her! Just aim and push the button!' the Doctor screamed back, sounding terrified. Donna closed one eye, trying to focus her aim. She pushed the button. For moment, she had thought she had failed, but a moment later, she flinched as the sonic pen spun past her. Down below, the Doctor saw it coming, and bravely letting go of the rope with one hand, he caught it, before he quickly pointed it out the window he was hanging next too.

To his immense relief, it opened and he slipped inside. Up above, Donna watched him get inside and she breathed a sigh of relief. She frowned when she heard a sort of thudding noise… like an axe…

'Oh shit!' she cried in alarm as she looked up to see one of Miss Foster's bodyguards using an emergency fire axe to slice through the cable. Moments later, he succeeded and the cable fell away.

Donna screamed as the trolley fell out from beneath her, but suddenly a pair of arms had seized her under her armpits, and Donna felt her back hit the side of the building. Looking down, Donna saw the trolley still falling, before it hit the earth with an almighty bang. Donna paled. If she had been in that cradle, she wouldn't have survived. And then the most welcome voice in the universe sounded out to her.

'I've got you! I've got you!' she heard the Doctor's muffled voice.

'Thank god for that! Now get me in!' Donna yelled back and after a few awkward maneuverers, the Doctor managed to pull Donna in through the window. They both panted for air. That had been far too close.

'That was a bit close' Donna breathed.

'Still, more interesting that way' the Doctor chuckled and Donna hit him playfully on the shoulder. He pouted, but didn't comment. Instead he grabbed her hand and they were off running again. Donna noted that they weren't in the room with Penny this time, and she couldn't help but wonder if the Doctor had actually freed her. She couldn't exactly ask him though, so Donna quickly put it out of her mind.

They ran through the corridors, burst into the Call Centre… before they met Miss Foster and her bodyguards.

'Well then … at last' the blonde said neatly, taking off her glasses.

'Hello' Donna said with a little wave.

'Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor' the Doctor smiled politely at her.

'And I'm Donna Noble, a pleasure' Donna added with her own bravado, even if it was just to outdo the Doctor a bit.

'Partners in crime. And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology' Miss Foster said lightly.

'Oh that reminds me, I've still got your screwdriver' Donna said suddenly, handing over said screwdriver to the Doctor.

'And I've still got your sonic pen. Nice, I like it. Sleek, it's kinda sleek' the Doctor said, holding up Miss Foster's sonic pen. He didn't return it to her though.

'Oh it's so sleek it nearly took my nose off' Donna put in, remembering it spinning past her face.

'I won't comment on that… But if _you_ were to sign your real name that would be...?' the Doctor asked. Donna bristled at his insinuation that she had a big nose but decided not to comment on it now. She'd have plenty of time to get him back later after all.

'Matron Cofelia of the Five-Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class' Miss Foster told them smugly.

'That's a bit of a mouthful' Donna commented but nobody replied. Instead, the Doctor was looking at Miss Foster thoughtfully.

'A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates' he said with raised eyebrows.

'I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost' Miss Foster explained.

'Lost? What do you mean lost? Planets don't just disappear out of time and space!' Donna hinted, despite knowing that they _could,_ depending on the evil mastermind behind it.

'That would be ridiculous' the Doctor agreed with Donna's comment, but he was looking slightly thoughtful about her words.

'Well I don't know what happened to it, I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents' Miss Foster told them snappishly.

'So you're basically a super-nanny from out of space?' Donna pretended to ask.

'Yes, if you like' Miss Foster confirmed with a smile, seemingly liking that way of wording it.

'So... so those little things they're, they're made out of fat yeah, but what about the people they come from? What happens to them?' Donna asked, but inwardly she was grinning at the thought that she wasn't talking about Stacy dying this time.

'Well, if desired the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things' Miss Foster cooed slightly.

'And what about the poor families of the people that _die_? I suppose the fact that those little aliens are 'a little bit sick' makes them feel loads better' Donna spat at her angrily.

'It's really none of my concern how _their_ families feel. I'm only concerned about the family paying my wages' Miss Foster sneered at them and Donna and the Doctor glared at her darkly.

'Seeding a level 5 planet is against galactic law' the Doctor told her grimly and Miss Foster's face morphed into a somewhat dangerous expression.

'Are you threatening me?' she arched an eyebrow.

'I'm trying to help you, Matron. This is your one chance; cos if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you' the Doctor said in a calm yet powerful voice.

'You should probably listen to him. And besides, you must have hundreds of your babies by now. Just take them and leave. Don't push him into doing something he doesn't want to but will do' Donna asked, despite not being very hopeful that Miss Foster would listen. She had to try though. That was what the Doctor did. He always tried and she would too.

'Why would I leave with just a few thousand when I can have millions… and I hardly think your husband can stop bullets, despite how impressive you might find him' Miss Foster laughed at Donna's attempt.

Donna rolled her eyes tiredly.

'We're not a couple' she said in annoyance. Even in another timeline people still thought they were a couple. It was just so embarrassing!

The bodyguards aimed their guns at them and the Doctor stepped forwards slightly, the screwdriver in one hand, the pen in the other. Donna pushed her fingers in her ears, wincing at what was about to come.

'No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, one more thing, before... dying. Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?' he asked quickly and Miss Foster sighed.

'No' she said uninterestedly.

'Nor me, let's find out!' the Doctor cried gleefully, before he pointed the sonic devices at each other and turned them on. Donna yelled as the noise pounded her ears. It was worse than her wedding… both of them… and the last time he had done that.

Across the room, Miss Foster screamed and her bodyguards almost fell over. All of them were clutching their ears and yelling out in pain. Behind the Doctor and Donna, a glass pane shattered. Donna gave the Doctor a little push to make him stop.

'Come on!' she cried, and they were off running once again.

'God, you like making loud noises when you meet me don't you?' Donna teased and the Doctor blushed slightly.

'Well… I…um' he fumbled over his words.

'Now dear husband, you know you're not meant to do that in public' she laughed and the Doctor scowled at her playfully.

'Trust me, you wouldn't want to marry me' he grumbled as they turned into a new corridor.

'Believe me, I wouldn't. I was right before, it's always like this with you… still, life's more fun this way' Donna replied, just as they arrived outside the cupboard with that computer in the wall.

The Doctor opened the cupboard and began throwing the supplies kept inside out. And of course, Donna couldn't resist a bit more teasing. Call it compensation for all the times the Doctor had outsmarted her in the original timeline.

'I do hope you're not losing your bottle and hiding in a cupboard' she said lightly and the Doctor scowled up at her.

'Ha…ha. No, I've been hacking in to this thing all day, cos the matron's got a computer core running through the centre of the building. Triple deadlocked. And now I've got this I can get into it' the Doctor said excitedly, holding up Miss Foster's sonic pen.

Once the room was clear enough, the Doctor and Donna squeezed inside and Donna shut the door as the Doctor pressed a sensitive spot on the back wall. The wall moved away, revealing a very alien computer hidden behind it.

'What does that thing do?' Donna knew she had to ask to keep up appearances.

'It's the inducer. Miss Foster's seeded millions of people, and this is what sends the signal to convert them into the Adipose children. If I can lock it down, it won't be able to send the signal and the Matron will have to give up' the Doctor explained quickly as he used the sonic pen to hack into it.

'What about the guards?' Donna asked quickly.

'Good point, we need a bit of privacy. Good job she's wired up the whole building' the Doctor said smugly as he held up two sparkling plugs and held them together.

'What did that do?' Donna asked with an arched eyebrow.

'Sent a minor shock to anyone in the corridor outside. But it was just enough to stun them' the Doctor explained quickly as he got to work examining the coding within the computer. Donna just looked at him with a tiny smile. It was so good to finally see him again, but at the same time, she could see once again just how older he looked since her wedding.

'You look older' she commented softly.

'Thanks' the Doctor said without looking at her.

'Are you still on your own? Or have you got back-up somewhere?' Donna pretended to ask. She knew just how alone he truly was, and she hoped to be able to help him with that before it was too late to save him from his inner demons.

'Nope, no back up, just me… well, I had this friend, Martha she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant... and I destroyed half her life. But she's fine. She's good. She's gone' the Doctor told her.

'What do you mean, destroyed half her life?' Donna asked. The Doctor didn't answer. Donna sighed and decided to press on.

'What about Rose? Did you find her?' Donna asked the painful question. She knew she had too, but if she had it her way, she'd tell him right now what was going to happen and that Rose would be back on day. And Donna was still holding out hope that she could do something to allow them to stay together, like they should be.

'I told you, it's impossible for us to ever find each other again' the Doctor told her miserably. Then it was his turn to ask the question, if only to deflect Donna's. It was a typical response when one was uncomfortable. Trying to move the focus onto something else.

'I thought you were going to travel the world?' he asked, looking up from his work at her.

'Yeah, didn't really work out much. I went to Egypt though, and Italy. But… it's nothing like what I really want. With you, it's all running and blowing stuff up and people with guns and saving people. That's what I want to do, I want to save people… that's why I've been looking for you, because I want to say yes now' Donna told him.

'Yes to what?' the Doctor asked.

'You know full well what' Donna told him sternly and the Doctor stopped working all together now, giving her his full attention.

'You said through the window that you want to come with me… do you really mean that?' he asked.

'If you'll have me' Donna nodded. There was a pause, before the Doctor grinned.

'Of course I'd have you' he beamed and Donna let out a joyous laugh. She opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, the computer cut over her.

'Inducer activated' it said in its eerie computerized voice.

'What's that mean?' Donna quickly returned her focus onto the issue at hand.

'She's started the program' the Doctor said frantically.

'And that's not good I take it?' Donna sighed in frustration.

'Well, I was hoping she'd wait a bit longer' the Doctor grumbled as he quickly tried sonicing some parts of the computer but to no avail.

'Inducer transmitting' the computer said.

…

In a restaurant on the other side of town, Sylvia had been enjoying her girls' night out with her friends. It was one of the first times she had been out with them since becoming a widow, and everything had been great until her friend Suzette started having these funny little spasms that had come out of nowhere.

She had just got up to go to the loo, when Sylvia's eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

'Oh, my God, Suzette!' she cried in alarm.

'What?' Suzette blinked, before she saw the large bump moving around on her back.

'There's something on your back!' Sylvia shouted as she jumped up and rushed over to her. She pulled down the back of Suzette's shirt, and a tiny little fat creature blinked up at her.

'What the hell?!' she cried in alarm.

…

In his home, a man called Roger Davies had been reading a book when all of a sudden he felt something on his side. Looking down, he saw to his shock a large bump.

Yelping in panic, he leapt up from his chair and pulled up his jumper. He almost fainted when a small fatty creature fell to the floor. It waved up at him happily.

…

In a bar not too far from the Powell Estate, Stacey Campbell was sitting opposite her drug-dealing boyfriend, who was angry and desperately trying to get her to give him another chance.

She was just shooting down his attempts once again when she suddenly felt something pulling at her stomach. She let out a squeal of surprize as she looked down and saw a small creature literally jump out of _her_ body. It fell out of her top and bounced across the floor. Kneeling down, Stacey stared at the creature.

'What are ya?' she whispered in fright.

…

'Doctor, what's it doing to the people on the pills?' Donna demanded as she watched with growing horror.

'So far they're just losing weight, but the Matron has gone up to emergency pathogenesis' the Doctor said, frantically trying to stop the inducer.

'Oh crap, and that's when the convert the skeletons and organs, all of them!' Donna 'realised'.

'A million people are gonna die!' he shouted in alarm.

'Gotta cancel the signal!' he said, pulling a golden Adipose Pendant out of his pocket and taking the end off, revealing a chip inside.

'This contains the primary signal. If I can switch it off the fat goes back to being just fat' he explained for Donna's benefit before he wired it into the computer. For a moment, it looked like it had worked… but then came the computer's response.

'Inducer increasing' it almost taunted them.

'No no no no no, she's doubled it, I need... Haven't got time! It's too far, I can't override it! They're all gonna die!' the Doctor yelled in horror.

'Is there anything I can do?' Donna asked quickly.

'Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you! Gotta double the base pulse, I can't...' the Doctor was as close to panicking as Donna had ever seen him, in all their adventures, even if they hadn't happened yet.

'Doctor, tell me what do you need' Donna said sternly, knowing if she just came out with an answer he'd get suspicious.

'I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them!' the Doctor shouted, obviously frustrated. Donna smirked before pulling out her Adipose Pendant and dangling it in the Doctor's peripheral vision. Once he spotted it, he followed the chain up and looked at Donna's smirking face. He beamed at her.

The two of them laughed, before the Doctor snatched Donna's pendant and wired it into the computer as well. The screen turned blank and the Doctor stood up and cheered. Donna let out a delighted whoop of glee.

'Donna Noble, you're a star' he grinned down at her.

'All in a day's work' she winked at him, so happy that they had managed to stop Miss Foster once again.

Suddenly from outside there came a loud whirring noise loud enough to shake the entire building, no easy feat considering it was a skyscraper. Everyone in the city could probably hear it, it was so loud.

'What the hell was that?' Donna demanded sharply, already knowing it was the Adipose spaceship.

'If I was a betting man… I'd say it's the Kid's Nursery… I'm more 'lucky' then 'betting' though' the Doctor said.

'Ok Lucky… but when you say 'nursery' I'm thinking you mean something else and not a crèche in Notting Hill' Donna rolled her eyes sarcastically.

'Nursery ship' the Doctor confirmed. Suddenly the computer unit lit up again, and they both looked down at it, concerned.

'Incoming signal' it told them.

'It's not going to start making Adipose children again is it?' Donna pretended to ask to keep up her inquisitive cover.

'No, I locked it… shush a minute' the Doctor held up a hand to silence her. They both listened to the strange gurgling alien language coming through the computer's speakers.

'Well hadn't we better go and stop them?' Donna asked. She wanted to get up to the roof already. Despite not really liking the woman, Donna didn't want Miss Foster to die, and if they got there in time, they might just be able to save her. They could try at least.

'Hang on, instructions from the Adiposian First Family. She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post. Oh. Ooh. We're not the ones in trouble now. SHE is!' the Doctor cried in alarm, darting out of the room. Donna rolled her eyes before following suit.

They sprinted all the way through the building and soon enough they standing were on the roof, watching as tens of thousands of Adipose all floated up in funnels of bright blue light, looking like bubbles in a glass of coke… or maybe a lava lamp.

'So then, are we here to blow them up or something?' Donna quirked an eyebrow.

'They're just children. They can't help where they come from' the Doctor frowned at her.

'It wasn't like that with the Racnoss' Donna reminded him.

'They were going to eat every human on the planet… I had to stop them to stop them killing everything else' the Doctor shook his head sadly, looking up at the spaceship again.

'Those babies are innocent, I can't condemn them just because of the actions of the person that created them' he said softly and Donna smiled.

'Well… it certainly seems as if Martha Jones did you the world of good' Donna commented and the Doctor smiled slightly.

'She did, yeah. Yeah, she did. She fancied me' the Doctor shrugged and Donna laughed.

'Then clearly she needs her eyes testing' she commented.

'Oi!' the Doctor pouted and Donna laughed louder.

'It's so true though, I mean, just look at you, you're like a piece of paper… men need a bit of muscle on them' Donna told him and the Doctor scowled at her.

'I am a man! A manly man in fact! I have muscle' the Doctor whined, flexing his arms to show off his guns. Donna just laughed and lightly nipped his arm.

'Ow' he whined pitifully, rubbing his arm and Donna just laughed, her point proven. They both turned back to waving at the Adipose.

'It's kind of ironic, us waving and saying goodbye to fat. As a diet plan, it kind of works in that sense' Donna said casually.

'I suppose it does. There she is!' the Doctor suddenly shouted, and snapping her head around, Donna saw Miss Foster floating in the beam, now dangling by the edge of the rooftop. They dashed over to the edge, looking out at her sneering face.

'Matron Cofelia, listen to me!' the Doctor called to her.

'Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. And if I never see you again, it will be too soon' the blonde smirked back at him.

'Oh, why does no one ever listen? I'm trying to help! Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?' the Doctor asked urgently.

'What, so that you can arrest me?' Miss Foster scoffed.

'No! So we can get you to safety! We're trying to save your life!' Donna shouted at her.

'We saw the Adiposian instructions - they know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice!' the Doctor tried to explain.

'I'm far more than that. I'm nanny… to all these children' Miss Foster held up her hands, gesturing at the Adipose inside the spaceship. No more of them were left in the beams now, that was the signal. Miss Foster had seconds left.

'But what use is the nanny when Mum and Dad have already got the kids? The Super-nanny helps but then she leaves when she's not needed! They don't need you now' Donna pleaded with her to see sense. Even if the woman was a royal cow, Donna just didn't want _anyone_ to die. And if she could help, she would, even if it was for the likes of people like Miss Foster.

Suddenly, the blue light vanished. Donna lunged forwards as Miss Foster looked down, her hand outstretched. Miss Foster gasped before she began to fall. Her hand brushed against Donna's… but it happened so fast neither woman could grab hold in time. The Doctor and Donna watched as Miss Foster plummeted to her death, Donna with her arm still outstretched. She looked down in horror, disgusting in herself for being too slow to save her. If only she had been one moment faster…

She retracted her arm and pulled the Doctor into a hug, her head resting on his shoulder as she sighed miserably.

'There was nothing you could do' the Doctor told her softly, as if hearing her thoughts.

'_He's right, I told you, not everyone can be saved'_ the Tardis reminded her from the back of her mind.

'I know' Donna mumbled to the pair of them.

'Come on… let's go' the Doctor said softly. As they began to walk away, the Adipose Spaceship overhead vanished in a flash of white light, leaving the Earth and its people behind.

…

Outside Adipose Industries, the Doctor was eying the sonic pen with distain, and he was about to throw it in a bin before Donna grabbed his arm, a sudden burst of inspiration hitting her.

'What?' he frowned down at her.

'I was just wondering if I could keep that. It might be handy in an awkward spot' she asked hopefully. She just knew that if she had that, it would be SO useful in her goal of saving people. The Doctor looked torn for a moment, and Donna assumed it was due to his male ego and his immense desire to show off how clever he was, but at the look Donna gave him, he sighed before turning it over to her.

'Alright, but be careful with it… I'll look through its settings later and see what it does before I teach you how to use it' the Doctor relented and Donna gleefully snatched it out of his hands.

'Ha! I can't believe it! I have my own sonic!' she cried happily as she pocketed it. She did feel a little guilty thinking about its last owner, but it wasn't like Miss Foster needed it anymore. They were about to leave when behind them there came an angry voice.

'Oi, you two!' the voice said, and turning, the Doctor and Donna saw Penny hobbling out of the building, once again tied to a chair.

'You're just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm gonna report you... for madness!' she shouted at them before moving away as fast as she could. They watched her go, both bemused.

'You see, some people just can't take it' Donna said to the Doctor.

'No' he agreed.

'But some people can. So, then - TARDIS! Come on!' she cried, grabbing his arm and pulling him away towards the street.

'It's down this way' the Doctor said, taking control over where they went, and soon enough the two of them were walking down the alleyway. Donna stopped when she spotted her car.

'That's my car! That is like destiny! And I've been ready for this' she said as she opened the boot. She began pulling out her bags and suitcases, pushing some of them into the Doctor's arms.

'I packed ages ago, just in case. Cos I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather… he goes anywhere, I've gotta be prepared' she finished as she throw a striped hatbox on top of the growing pile in the Doctor's arms.

'You've got a... a... hatbox?!' he stuttered.

'Planet of the Hats, I'm ready!' Donna beamed before moving towards the Tardis. She stopped when she saw the Doctor's less than delighted expression.

'You're not saying much… you are ok with me coming aren't you?' Donna asked nervously. Despite him constantly telling her how brilliant she was, Donna still had that nagging feeling that the Doctor somehow deserved someone… better than her to be friends with.

'Yeah, I mean, I'd love for you to come… it's just, there's something I think we need to be clear on first' the Doctor started awkwardly, putting some of the Donna's bags down to talk to her properly.

'Ok… what is it?' Donna asked with a curious tone in her voice.

'It's just, the last time, with Martha, like I said it... it got complicated. And that was all my fault. I just what to make sure you know where we stand' the Doctor said and Donna's eyes widened as she cottoned on.

'OH! Oh…right, yeah… err… well you know how I feel, about muscled men and all that… I'm not remotely interested in that Doctor. I mean for god's sake you're an alien! All I want to is to go see the stars with a friend' Donna told him sincerely.

'Good, so we both know that we'll never…' the Doctor trailed off embarrassedly.

'Never ever. Friends and nothing more' Donna confirmed and the Doctor grinned at her, looking relieved. Donne beamed back at him.

'Is that everything, I'm really alright to come with you?' she asked with excitement lighting up her face. This was it… finally; she was back home, right where she belonged. The Doctor and Donna, partners in crime, next stop everywhere.

'You really are' the Doctor confirmed with a bright smile and Donna shrieked in joy. She darted forwards and hugged him, but as she pulled away she suddenly remembered something.

'Car keys!' she cried.

'What?' the Doctor looked confused.

'I've still got my mum's car keys! I won't be a minute!' she said before running off. The Doctor looked after her, obviously amused, before he began loading her luggage into the Tardis. He had to admit, he was rather excited to see where this new journey with this new companion would take him… even if something still didn't seem right about her. Oh well, he'd have time to figure it out later. Right now, it was time to just enjoy spending time with a friend.

…

Donna had reluctantly called her mother to tell her where she was leaving the car keys. Sylvia had of course gone into a long explanation about the little fat people, and Donna had just emerged from the alley as Sylvia began to finish her babble.

'I know, Mum, I saw it, little fat people. Listen, I've got to go. I'm going to stay with Veena for a bit' Donna tried to explain but Sylvia was too caught up in her own words to hear her.

'But it was in the sky!' she was saying in a panic.

'Yeah. I know. Spaceship. But, I've still got the car keys. Look. There's a bin on Brook Street, about thirty feet from the corner, I'm going to leave them in there' Donna said as she chucked the keys in.

'What? A bin?!' Sylvia cried in disbelief.

'Yes, I said 'bin'' Donna rolled her eyes.

'But you can't do that!' Sylvia protested.

'Oh, stop complaining, the car's just down the road a bit. Got to go, really got to go. I love you' Donna said before she hung up. Looking around, Donna spotted a blonde woman and walked over to her. The woman was wearing a blue leather jacket and black trousers.

'Listen…' she called to her, tapping on her on the shoulder to get her attention.

When the woman turned to face her, Donna' jaw dropped open. It was ROSE TYLER! Of course! How could Donna have forgotten?! She had MET Rose in the original timeline, but obviously she had had no idea who she was. But she did now…

'Yeah?' Rose asked when Donna just stared at her. She shifted uncomfortably under Donna's gaze, before the ginger pulled herself together.

_'Whatever you're thinking… don't'_ the Tardis warned her. Donna smirked. She had an idea and this time, the Tardis wasn't going to force her into anything.

'There is this woman that's going to come along, a tall blond woman called Sylvia, tell her that bin there. Right, it'll all make sense. That bin there' Donna said, pointing at the bin.

'Sure thing' Rose said.

'Thanks, I've really got to go, I've got a man waiting for me… pity it has to be in a police box' Donna said casually and Rose's eyes widened in shock.

'What did you say?' she breathed, hope bubbling up in her beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

'I said… ooh' Donna swayed slightly as she felt the Tardis reaching into her mind. Donna smirked.

**'Not this time' **Donna said to the Tardis mentally, and then she did something the Tardis never expected.

…

The Doctor had just finished moving the rest of Donna's luggage when suddenly all the lights when out. The time rotor dulled and the lights on the console went out completely. The entire Tardis had shut down. It power had been contained.

'What… what are you up too?' the Doctor asked in confusion, stalking up to the controls, bewilderment written all over his face.

…

_'Urgh… what was that… what have you done to me?'_ the Tardis asked sluggishly and Donna withdrew her assault.

**'Our bond runs both ways. I simply did to you what you were trying to do to me'** Donna told her mentally, smugness lining her tone.

_'That's impossible… no human could…'_ the Tardis began weakly.

**'You left me for a whole year; did you think I was just going to sit on my backside for twelve months? No, I spent time practicing mental exercises, and I explored the mental bond we share. I practiced enough to be able to follow the bond back and this time, I closed you down'** Donna explained to her smugly.

_'Donna… please just listen… if the Bad Wolf comes with us now… it will shatter the timelines'_ the Tardis tried, distress in its mental voice.

**'Just let me try'** Donna said back before pulling out of the connection. She swayed and looked up at Rose, who was looking at her in bewilderment.

'Are you alright?' Rose asked in concern.

'Yeah, just a bit of a headache… but anyway, like I said, a madman in a box is waiting for me' Donna said, beginning to walk away. Rose hurried after her.

'It's just… I've been trying to find someone, a man called the Doctor' the blonde rushed to get in front of her.

'Oh, you know him?' Donna asked in mock surprize. The Tardis was screaming in the back of her head, but Donna ignored her. If she could get Rose to the Doctor now, it would make him _so_ happy. It would help mend him, surely that was worth the risk of damaging time slightly.

'I've been trying to find him, to warn him about something. Please, if you know where he is, you have _got_ to take me to him' Rose pleaded and Donna nodded.

'Alright, he's just down this alley' Donna said, leading Rose in the right direction. Just before they got to the entrance of the alley though, Donna heard Rose curse loudly.

'What's wrong?' she asked quickly.

'Crap, the Dimension Canon can't stabilize… it's pulling me back…' Rose whispered before looking at Donna with panicked eyes.

'Tell him this… the darkness is…' Rose vanished before Donna's very eyes. The ginger gaped in shock, looking around for her. But Rose was nowhere to be found. Donna fumed as she reconnected her bond to the Tardis.

**'What did you do?!'** she demanded to know as she reversed what she had done to the Tardis.

…

Inside the time/space ship, all the lights came back on as the power was restored. The Doctor looked around in bewilderment.

'What was all that about eh?' he asked in bemusement, tapping the Time Rotor. All he got was a faint, undisguisable hum in response.

…

_'I did nothing, I have no idea what just happened to the Wolf Girl. But it's just as well she's gone. I've never seen a more stupid act in all my life. What were you thinking of?!'_ the Tardis demanded angrily.

**'YOU were the one that wanted me to fix the Doctor! Rose could have help with that!'** Donna argued.

_'I didn't want time to splinter because of it though, that's why I brought you right back to the beginning!' _the Tardis countered.

**'Well you know what; I'm not ****_your_**** puppet. I'm not going to let you shut me off everything I do something you don't like. ****_I'm_**** the one rewriting all this, ****_I'm_**** the one that will burn if this fails, so ****_I'm_**** the one with the right to decide what changes I make and how I make them!' **Donna ranted.

_'No you don't have that right! I know things you'd never believe and I can't and I won't let you damage time... I know you mean well Donna, but you can't just smash the timelines to pieces… it won't end in a way you desire'_ the Tardis said in a softer, more understanding voice. Donna scowled.

**'Ok, but if you try and shut me down anymore, I'm going to do it back… it's just, I want to help him, and Rose too, they deserve to be together, after everything they've given and done for the universe, they deserve to love each other and be happy together'**Donna said, nearly in tears.

_'I know… but the universe isn't always kind… you'd better get back to him'_ the Tardis told her and Donna sighed. At least it sounded as though the Tardis had forgiven her.

She hurried down the alleyway and stepped into the Tardis. And there ahead of her was the Doctor, examining the Tardis closely. Donna didn't have the heart to tell him that she had just seen Rose Tyler and that she had simply vanished before her eyes. Plus she didn't know how to explain how she knew what Rose looked like anyway.

'Off we go then' Donna said, forcing as much cheer into her voice as she could muster. Thankfully, she seemed to fool the Doctor, which Donna was proud of considering how well _he_ could hide his emotions.

'Here it is, the TARDIS. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside...' the Doctor explained.

'Is it? Maybe it's just smaller on the outside than it is on the inside' Donna teased and the Doctor pouted.

'Cheeky' he grumbled and Donna let out a laugh.

'So, whole wide universe, where do you want to go?' he asked and Donna smiled. This was going to be so brilliant!

'Oh, I know exactly the place' she told him.

'Which is?' the Doctor wanted to know.

'Two and a half miles, that way' she replied, indicting to the left with her head. The Doctor looked at her confusedly, before he began to pilot them in that direction.

'What's out there?' the Doctor wanted to know as Donna looked at the doors.

'My granddad's a star-gazer. He goes up this hill all the time and I thought it would be nice for him to see a real proper spaceship' Donna told him as she opened the doors, looking out at the city moving past them beyond. Looking down, Donna saw the hill, where her Granddad, looking as small as an ant, was sat with his telescope.

She began waving madly and the Doctor joined in, both of them laughing and grinning. Down below, Wilf obviously spotted them, because he began doing a funny little dance, obviously shouting his head off.

Donna just waved happily, so excited to be off once again. And this time, everything was going to work out, she was sure of it. Well, almost sure.

She was going to do her best either way though. She just prayed her best would be enough to save the two of them this time.

**...**

**And there's the first episode of Season 4 done : ) Now, there was a lot of thought put into this chapter. I considered saving Miss Foster, but at the same time, I'm trying not to make this an everybody lives story, so sadly once again she died. And I gave Donna the Sonic Pen because I figured it would be a great way not only to change various things, but show just how amazing Donna can be on her own when she tries and has the proper tools. But of course, the Doctor will still be a MASSIVE part of this story : )**

**Also, I thought of about ten different ways the scene with Rose could have gone. I decided that I didn't want to have her through Season 4. Sorry Rose fans but the focus of this needs to remain on Donna and if I added Rose in, the focus would shift onto her. But if you want to see Rose, please do read my other Doctor Who stories (See my profile for details of which stories she's in). And I figured writing it this way would be good to show Donna that things can't always go in her favour.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review : ) Until the next one ; )**


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